Banana Orange Smoothie

1 banana
2 oranges (peel and use whole orange or just juice)
½ cup water or coconut water  
1 or 2 dates, soaked
paste from 1 vanilla bean (optional) 
Agave nectar or honey to taste (optional)
Blend until smooth – Drink and be happy!******************************************* 

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Plantain Apricot Banana Smoothie

Read more about the edible weed plantain on my RawCityLife blog.

1 handful plantain
1 banana
1 apricot 
1 cup pure water
juice of 1 orange
Blend until smooth – Drink and be happy!

Plantain provides beta carotene and calcium.  Choose the young leaves in the spring. After the seed stalk has come up the older leaves are a bit tough to chew. But you can still pluck the young leaves from a plant though summer. For more medicinal uses read Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants in Wild (and not so wild) Places by Wildman Steve Brill with Evelyn Dean.  

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Spinach & Papaya Green Smoothie

1-2 cups fresh spinach
1 cup chopped papaya
1/2 or whole ripe banana
1 cup pure water
Blend until smooth – Drink and be happy!

Spinach makes it a beautiful bright green and it is not strong flavored as some other greens might be. 1 1/2 cups of spinach has 2 grams of protein! It also has vitamin A, C, iron, folic acid, beta-carotene and a great source of antioxidants.
Papaya is rich in vitamin A, antioxidants and has papain – an enzyme that helps aid digestion.
I use the ripe banana to add sweetness to the smoothie. It’s loaded with potassium and is a good source for B6. There is also vitamin C, folic acid, riboflavin, magnesium, copper.

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Carob Banana Shake

1 banana
1 cup coconut water (or water from 1 coconut)
4-5 pitted dates (soaked to soften first)
1 Tablespoon carob powder 
1 Tablespoon honey or agave nectar
Blend until smooth – Drink and be happy!

Craving something chocolatey, sweet and decadent – this is it! But guilt free as it’s all real, raw and nutritious. You’ll probably need a spoon because the banana causes it to get really thick if you don’t drink it fast enough.

Try blending with a handful of ice for a quick raw icecream! Top it with chopped pecans and a dash of cinnamon. Yes, you can have icecream for breakfast!