I know I’ve told you guys before how much I’ve been enjoying smoothies this pregnancy. Cold, creamy, sweet….three of my favorite things. In my first trimester, I think I drank one every day and now I’m down to a few times a week. My favorite “storebought” smoothie can be found at Whole Foods and is just frozen mango, spinach and coconut water. And yes, I know how easy that is to make at home but it’s my favorite grocery shopping treat.
This creamy milkshake of a smoothie is my favorite treat at home. It’s so simple but so insanely delicious. I call it my “pregnancy smoothie” just because all the ingredients are really great for mamas to be, but really anyone, whether you are pregnant or not, will enjoy this!
Like I said, the ingredients are super simple. Just milk, banana, peanut butter, a fresh date and cinnamon. That’s it. No fancy protein powders or specialty ingredients. Just pure goodness right here. It tastes just like a vanilla milkshake, in my opinion!
So let’s go over why this shake is so great for mamas {and, like I said, anyone!}. Bananas contain vitamin B6, which is great for babies developing central nervous system. They also contain potassium, which can help leg cramps! I’ve had a few middle of the night leg cramps and let me tell you, they are not fun. At all.
Peanut butter contains healthy fats that are important when you’re growing a little one. And organic whole milk has wonderfully heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids — great for baby’s brain.
The real special ingredient here, though, is the fresh medjool date! I love dates and one of my favorite snacks are two fresh dates stuffed with peanut butter. When I told my midwife about that {we talk a lot about diet during our appointments} she told me that new studies have shown that women who eat dates in their pregnancies may have easier labors, as well as the reduced need for induction. Umm…sign me up.
So…regardless if you’re preggers or not, this is a delicious treat of a smoothie that’s great for breakfast or an afternoon snack. I enjoy this a few times a week!
My Favorite Pregnancy Smoothie
serves 1
Ingredients:
1 frozen banana
1 cup organic whole milk {or milk of choice}
1 raw medjool date
1 tbsp peanut butter
big pinch of cinnamon
Directions:
Place all ingredients in blender and process until smooth. Enjoy!
Danielle
March 25, 2014 at 4:10 amAs if I didn’t miss my blender enough as it is… 😉 this sounds delish!
Ksenija @ With An Open Mind
March 25, 2014 at 4:10 amSounds delicious – even though I am not pregnant 🙂 ! Bananas and dates are pretty much the base of all smoothies I make. I usually forgo the milk in my smoothies though and add some freshly squeezed orange juice for some extra vitamins.
Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat
March 25, 2014 at 4:23 amOoh this sounds so perfect! I love the PB and banana combo (who doesn’t!?) and am a huge cinnamon-a-holic. At the moment I’m drinking a similar smoothie but it’s still SO cold here that I’m double fisting with a cup of tea in the other hand!
Jojo @ RunFastEatLots
March 25, 2014 at 4:31 amYummy! PB in smoothies is so good because it makes it richer and creamier. I have some medjool dates that I need to use up. Gonna make a smoothie!
Cheri @ Overactive Blogger
March 25, 2014 at 4:38 amSounds very yummy, even for a non-pregnant like me!
Sara @ LovingOnTheRun
March 25, 2014 at 4:42 amOh i’m not pregnant but this still sounds REALLY delicious!
Ash Bear
March 25, 2014 at 4:46 amI’ve never thought to put dates in my smoothie! Great addition! 🙂
Chicago Jogger
March 25, 2014 at 5:14 amThis looks great – I have also never thought about adding dates to my smoothie. Definitely trying it asap! I have a whole container of dates from CostCo in my fridge, so I have plenty (of course!)
Camille @ Challenge Mantra
March 25, 2014 at 5:22 amI didn’t know Costco sold dates, and I’ve never thought of putting them in a smoothie. I learned two cool new things today!
Jacquelynn
April 10, 2014 at 12:01 pmGood to know about Costco! Are they organic?
Melissa
March 25, 2014 at 6:02 amThat’s too funny! My husband made this exact smoothie Sunday morning after watching Giada make it…
Rebekah {aCricketSang}
March 25, 2014 at 6:27 amAlso not pregnant, but still looks delicious!!
erin @hooleywithaz
March 25, 2014 at 6:30 amyum, i’ve been craving smoothies a lot lately, but it’s freezing here, so i’ve been substituting oatmeal…not great. can’t wait for warm weather and a cold smoothie breakfast! love that little tidbit about the dates. i wonder why dates have that effect on labor?
Lindsey @ American Heritage Cooking
March 25, 2014 at 6:39 amThis smoothie looks so creamy and delicious! I am curious about the addition of the date. I’ll have to give this a try! So glad to have found your site! Aaaand I’m going to go buy your book right now…because I cannot resist a good book (and I’m considering culinary school).
Bernice
March 25, 2014 at 6:40 amwait…are you pregnant?!?!
Traci
March 25, 2014 at 6:43 amLooks delicious. You should try my favorite smoothie that uses banana. Freeze some chai tea (whatever kind is your preference) into ice cubes. Blend the chai ice, 1 banana, a little honey, and some almond milk. Delicious!
Maria
March 25, 2014 at 6:46 amI think I need to try this ASAP!
Kelsi
March 25, 2014 at 7:43 amYum!! I ate larabars EVERYDAY for the last few weeks of my pregnancy. Of course, dates didn’t help my labor and little man was still 13 days late. : ( Neither did raspberry leaf tea. Or evening primrose oil. But, hey….I think I’m the exception and those things normally work. So I’d try it again!! The research really really supports dates! Good luck to you!
Pam
March 25, 2014 at 8:04 amYum sounds awesome!
Great news about dates for mommas to be, had no idea on that one.
XO
Lily O'Dare
March 25, 2014 at 8:59 amLove dates, bananas and peanut butter! Will give this a try with almond milk. Looks delicious 🙂
Emily @ Life on Food
March 25, 2014 at 9:26 amOff to go get me a box of dates. I have a smoothie every day but not with this combination. I love coconut milk in mine and just picked up a new coconut/almond milk blend. So good!
Kelli @ Wandering Root
March 25, 2014 at 9:36 amYummy! I am definitely craving this now! 🙂
Jessica @ www.myhealthypassion.com
March 25, 2014 at 9:41 amYum! I will have to try! sounds refreshing!
Jennie @themessybakerblog
March 25, 2014 at 9:57 amI never thought to add a date to my smoothies. This will be happening the next time I whir up a smoothie. Yum!
Corie
March 25, 2014 at 10:30 amDelicious! Made it as soon as my little ones would let me!
Angela
March 25, 2014 at 11:52 amThis sounds so delicious–pregnant or not! 🙂
Vera Sawicki
March 25, 2014 at 12:05 pmWhat an amazing smoothie. I cannot wait to trey it!!
http://www.verasawicki.com
emily
March 25, 2014 at 4:25 pmMilk is a great source of calcium, protein, and vitamin d and a pretty good source of phosphorus and vitamin a, but it typically does not provide omega-3’s. Omega-3 mostly comes from seafood (DHA, the fatty acid that is essential for fetal brain development, is available exclusively in seafood and supplements), as well as chia seeds, flax seeds, canola oil, and walnuts.
The smoothie sounds really delicious nonetheless 🙂
Live Love Yum
March 28, 2014 at 3:23 amThanks for that …I was confused (and surprised!) about the milk and omega 3 thing…
jenna
March 28, 2014 at 12:56 pmNew studies are showing that organic milk actually does contain naturally occurring omega-3s, due to the cows grazing in the pasture. (info from my midwife)
emily
March 29, 2014 at 2:11 pmThanks for responding! I hate to belabor the point, especially because you did specify organic vs. nonorganic milk, but since many women seem to rely on blogs for their nutrition information….
The type of omega-3 fatty acid found in organic milk {found naturally I mean, I’m not referring to milks that have been fortified with fatty acids} is ALA. Alpha Linolenic Acid is great, but it is Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) that is essential for fetal brain development.
Live Love Yum
March 31, 2014 at 2:43 amThanks again Emily! 🙂
Lc
November 10, 2018 at 4:05 pmHorizon milk actually has a line with omegas and DHAs
Anne @ CandyCrazedrun.wordpress.com
March 25, 2014 at 4:34 pmI cannot WAIT to make these smoothies…. and I don’t usually love smoothies!
I think I get turned off by the protein powder this, protein powder that. That stuff freaks me out, I don’t see the point, and you cannot find a smoothie recipe without it anymore.
Thank you for making a REAL smoothie, yum!
Coty and Mariah@quirksandtwists
March 25, 2014 at 6:04 pmThis sounds so refreshing and delicious!
Amanda
March 25, 2014 at 6:10 pmI am pregnant too & make the same think with dark chocolate almond milk….amazing!!! **i have never tried dates in my smoothie…can’t wait to try that!
emily
March 25, 2014 at 6:21 pmI need to get back into smoothies. We have this rather cheap blender that was a wedding gift … from our wedding 10 years ago. Anyway, it’s still kicking so the husband refuses to get me a “real” blender. I tried blending a date once, and ended up with chopped date at the bottom of my shake. Wasn’t very palatable. So smoothies are always chunky at best. I’m praying our blender will finally kick the bucket one of these days so I can get one of ’em fancy Vitamix processors or something!
jan
March 25, 2014 at 6:29 pmMmm that sounds delicious! I’m not crazy about fruity smoothies but I think I could handle this one (for some reason banana isn’t as fruity to me LOL).
Karen
March 25, 2014 at 7:22 pmI make a very similar smoothie! Except without the date (MUST TRY THAT!) and with a dash of vanilla extract. So yummy.
If you should be looking for an easy way to increase your protein intake in a smoothie and not use protein powders, consider adding a scoop of cottage cheese. Sounds crazy, but I swear you don’t taste it anymore than you’d taste spinach in a green smoothie:)
Ella
March 25, 2014 at 7:34 pmWow. You pretty much nailed it with this one, combining 4 things I just love (banana, pb, dates, cinnamon) – I never would have though to put them all into a smoothie! Yummmm!
Dr. Maureen Muoneke
March 26, 2014 at 3:28 amOne of the most important things to me while I am pregnant is to eat healthy. I know what a huge difference it makes in the way I feel and my overall health. But, if you do your own shopping, you know that it is really much more expensive to eat healthy than it is to eat Ramen noodles for every meal.
Kim @Fabulous Fit Foodie
March 26, 2014 at 6:03 amThis sounds like breakfast tomorrow for me. Thanks! I can honestly say I’ve never had a date before (weird?) but sign me up for anything that MIGHT help with an easier labor 🙂
Karin J.
March 26, 2014 at 7:34 amHey, I’ve been following your website for a couple of years actually, but never really commented. Just made this smoothie though, and I’m in pregnancy heaven (I’m only in week 15), thanks for this great site! Love it! And good luck with the little one!
-Karin
Christine
March 26, 2014 at 8:22 amLoved loved loved this smoothie! It must be the dates and cinnamon because this was no ordinary smoothie. Also, food for thought – all the lovely, nourishing foods that we crave while pregnant? Why not keep eating this way post-partum? I had my first (a beautiful, healthy girl) 8.5 months ago, and the process of being pregnant really changed how i like to eat. I barely consume alcohol or caffine anymore (things that obvs got the boot during pregnancy), and try to eat as healthfully as I did while pregnant and trying to nourish the baby. I’ve never felt better and even lost all my baby weight without working out due to eating this way! Congrats to you and Adam and best of luck with your little one <3
Grandma Honey
March 26, 2014 at 2:58 pmAbout the leg cramps….if you don’t want to jump out of bed try pinching your bottom lip. (thumb on the outside the lip, pointer finger on the inside) Keep pinching and in a few seconds and you will feel the leg cramp disappear. Works every time for me. Don’t know why, but it does.
em@simplypresent
March 26, 2014 at 4:12 pmSo simple and healthy! I’ll be giving this a try soon.
Melissa
March 27, 2014 at 12:24 pmDelicious! just made this soooo goood!!!!
Shawna kemerer
March 27, 2014 at 1:52 pmMmm…I just made this! Perfect way to get some healthy fats and nutrients to my breastfeeding baby! I used coconut milk for even more creaminess.
Liesl
March 28, 2014 at 8:33 amI have made this smoothie many times and it seriously does taste like a milkshake. The hubby loves it!
Marge
March 28, 2014 at 10:39 amNot pregnant, but breastfeeding here! Anyone else having problems with the date in the blender? Mine wont seem to blend well into the smoothie. I’m using the whole ones you find in the refrigerated area…the semi-dried ones, if you will. I have a kitchen aid blender that actually does fantastically with ice, but it can’t seem to get the date smooth. Jenna, I’m guessing you have a vitamix which takes care of everything, but it you have any tips, it would be appreciated.
Mandy
March 28, 2014 at 7:32 pmDates are great milk producers, too!
melissa
March 30, 2014 at 3:25 pmWe just got back from our babymoon today and when we did our grocery shopping, I stopped to get the ingredients for this smoothie. Amazing!
goodbye second trimester | foster & feed
March 31, 2014 at 12:12 pm[…] just so light and airy. Some other favorites include: Mustela lotions and my latest obsession for vanilla smoothies. What I love about this smoothie is that it is so filling. Usually after a full day of class, I rush […]
spotlight | This is for Real
April 1, 2014 at 11:41 am[…] peanut butter banana smoothie for a great breakfast, snack, or even […]
Lauren @ Focused To Be Fit
April 2, 2014 at 1:21 pmI never buy dates – I feel as though I need to invest in them – I’ve seen some pretty stellar recipes recently using them!
Annie Laurn
April 13, 2014 at 11:37 pmHi JENNA this is good
Jordan
April 18, 2014 at 1:33 pmI’ve been meaning to try this ever since you posted it and I FINALLY tried it today – so so so good!! The creaminess is perfect and it’s totally healthy! Can’t wait to enjoy these all summer long.
GenTP
September 7, 2014 at 10:21 amThank you! Tried it this morning and it was awesome (replaced peanut butter with almonds).
Caroline
September 23, 2014 at 6:16 amJust made one! So delish! I added cacao powder and chia seeds!! It tastes like a milkshake! I will be drinking this the rest of my pregnancy thanks for the recipe 🙂
Keisha
January 20, 2015 at 8:02 amI tried this for the first time this morning. I read the recipe last night and saw I had to freeze the bananas. I used some overripe bananas that were nice and heavily spotted (that’s when they’re at their best) to freeze. I also added an extra date. That helped get it to the right sweetness for me. I will be making this often, my 7 year old son and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Brooke
August 8, 2018 at 9:33 amI’m 6 months pregnant and have been craving good smoothies. Made this with vanilla unsweetened almond milk instead of regular to avoid dairy, cashew butter instead of peanut butter and added turmeric. Holy moly. I’ve already sent this recipe around to loved ones. Simple and delicious. Well done!
Brooke
August 8, 2018 at 9:33 amI’m 6 months pregnant and have been craving good smoothies. Made this with vanilla unsweetened almond milk instead of regular to avoid dairy, cashew butter instead of peanut butter and added turmeric. Holy moly. I’ve already sent this recipe around to loved ones. Simple and delicious. Well done!
25 + Easy Pregnancy Smoothie Recipes {Perfect for your first trimester}
August 25, 2019 at 12:50 am[…] Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie by Eat Live Run […]
April Knight
November 18, 2019 at 8:13 amThis is goood!! Thanks!!)
Try this recipe -Sesame Milk with honey https://greenann.com/recipe/sesame-milk/
Ingredients:
5 tbsp White Sesame Seeds
2 cups Water
1 tbsp Honey
½ tsp (optional) Vanilla
I like it a lot!!)