Creamy Coffee Smoothie

I haven’t really talked very much about this, but as of January 1st, I started following the Paleo Template. I call it a template, because it’s not a diet! Basically, I eat a lot of meat and vegetables, some fruit and nuts, and healthy fats. This means no dairy, no grains and no legumes. So far it’s been pretty easy. I just concentrate on all the yummy things I CAN have and try not too get too worried about what I can’t have. Although, this proves to be difficult as I am an avid food lover and most of the blogs are read are at least partially, if not totally dedicated to food. And don’t even get me started with Pinterest! Have you seen all the amazing foods and recipes on there? It blows my mind! And while we are on the subject have you seen this? It kills me, because that’s how I feel my Pinterest attempts turn out. But I digress…

I chose to try out this way of eating for a number of reasons. The first and major one is: most of the foods I love, don’t love me back. I have struggled with tummy problems for pretty much my whole life, and some of them are caused by stress and anxiety (I am a very nervous person – not about any one thing specifically, just in general) but I think a lot of it also comes from foods not really agreeing with my body. I feel so much better when I am not eating dairy, and wheat and sugar. I hate to admit that, but I do. Oh and my body has never liked beans/legumes. I know that a lot of people tote them as the best health food/protein ever, and if they work for you, great! But they DO NOT work for me! Secondly, I need to shed a few pounds. I am not fat, but I am a bit heavy for my frame, and I can feel the strain that a carrying around a few extra pounds puts on my little body.

But anyways, in the spirit of concentrating on what I CAN have, I created this smoothie. I love iced lattes and because I no longer do dairy or soy, I can’t exactly walk into Starbucks and get one. So in Maui through much experimentation, this lovely, creamy, coffee concoction was born. I hope you love it!

First you need the ingredients:

You will need 3/4 cup almond milk, 1/4 cup coconut milk (this makes it extra creamy), 1/2 to 1 cup of cold coffee (depending on how much coffee flavor you like/how much caffeine you would like to ingest), 1/2 to 1 frozen banana (I am happy with 1/2 a frozen banana, but if you like a little extra sweetest add a whole one), and then about 1/2-1 cup of ice depending how slushy you would like your smoothie. Throw all these ingredients into your trusty, sturdy blender.

Then you have some decisions to make, as there are some optional ingredients:

You can add any of these depending on your preference. I usually like 1 tsp of vanilla extract in mine, but we were all out, so I added a pinch of vanilla bean powder instead, and it turned out very nice. You could also add a dash of cinnamon, or pumpkin pie spice if that’s your thing.

So there you have it, a dairy-free delicious coffee smoothie!

Do you have any favorite smoothie recipes you’d like to share?