Tasty Tuesday: Banana Bread Smoothie!

Dieting sucks. Because food is one of the best things in the world. And when you can't eat what you want, life feels hard.

Something that's helped me is attempting to recreate unhealthy foods in slightly healthier ways. I'm not talking about Bobby Deen-type stuff like "300 calorie mac'n'cheese" (maybe the blandest thing I've eaten in my life) and other low-calorie recipes based on comfort foods. Because to me, that's kinda blasphemy.

I'm talking about...say...a banana bread smoothie. Still has all the good stuff that banana bread has. It's just in the form of a blended drink versus a sugar-packed, dense, heavy bread.

The other day, my mom used the 4-5 brown bananas sitting in our kitchen to whip up one of her best baked goods. Delicious, ooey gooey, coconut pecan banana bread. (Salivating as I type.) I've been snacking on this banana bread ever since it popped out of the oven (which likely explains why my weight is just ridiculous right now, but that's another story.) Anyhow. Today I decided to say NO to banana bread. To curb my craving, I invented my own version. Smoothie style.

I didn't take a picture because it wasn't pretty. It was, however, delish. And it allowed me to stay away from the banana bread today!

Recipe: Banana Bread Smoothie

1 small banana

1/2 cup plain vanilla yogurt (or Greek yogurt, if you're into that)

10 almonds

1/4 cup milk (almond milk would be great)

1 TB sugar free vanilla pudding mix

1/2 cup ice

(opt.) 1/8 cup shredded coconut

Mix it all together in your trusty blender and sip slowly whilst pretending your healthy smoothie is actually a warm, fresh slice of Mom's famous banana bread.

Have a fabulous Tuesday :)

-Ellen