Today I'm Thinking | It's Time For a Peanut/Banana Shake...

Today I’m Thinking | Blog Post #2

Dairy Queen Blizzard this is not. Healthy, easy, nutrient-packed meal? Oh yes. This creation is based on a recipe I heard from Sadguru a while back. I often make this for breakfast when I don't have much time to invest in a full-on breakfast creation. This shake is satisfying, healthy, and plenty filling!

Peanuts (aka groundnuts) are high in protein, healthy fat, antioxidants, and minerals. They contain more protein than any other nut! Although, yes, they are technically part of the legume family and not nuts. Because of this high protein and fat content, they are also very filling without being calorie-heavy. Bananas and honey are sweet, energizing, and full of nutrients. Oat milk (or any dairy milk sub) adds creaminess to make this drink even more satisfying. Cardamon adds a magical taste and health benefits like supporting blood sugar levels.

You'll need:

1 ripe banana

1 cup unsweetened oat milk (or milk of choice)

2 BIG handfuls soaked peanuts

1/2 tsp ground cardamon (or to your taste preference...I like A LOT!)

1 tablespoon raw honey (more or less for desired sweetness)

1 cup water (more or less for desired consistency)

Blender

Soak the peanuts in a bowl of filtered water overnight. Rinse and drain. Place all ingredients in the blender and mix to desired consistency and sweetness. A tiny pinch of pink salt or Celtic salt can give you a boost of minerals too!

To take things a little further now, here are a few caveats to this recipe. It's room temperature. Ayurveda is big on eating and drinking food at room temperature or warm to ensure ease of digestion. However, putting your shake in the fridge or using frozen bananas to cool it down can make it taste a little better and feel more refreshing in the summer.

The quality of your ingredients makes a HUGE difference in this recipe.

- High-quality, organic, raw peanuts mean there are no chemicals, and you're less likely to run into mold issues which is a common problem with most peanut sources. Raw form allows you to hold on to more nutrients. Peanuts with these parameters are more challenging to find but, I have found some options online (jungle peanuts are my current fave).

- Using raw honey (and local when possible) means it hasn't been heated, so you maintain the antibacterial and nutrient content that is killed when heated. Additionally, if you purchase local honey, you benefit your body's allergin response to local pollens and reduce your carbon footprint since the honey doesn't need to travel as far to get to you!

- Organic bananas mean no chemicals, which is always a win.

- Different types of milk and milk subs can have all kinds of issues, so without going on forever in this post, I will just say the basics - limited ingredients are better, organic is better, and since Ayurveda doesn't like to mix proteins, you'll be better to stick with a milk sub rather than actual dairy milk for this recipe.

- Choosing an organic cardamon means no chemical herbicides and pesticides. While pre-ground spices are convenient, they aren't the freshest. If you have the time, grinding whole spices yourself keeps the oils and nutrients within the spices much fresher.

Please don't try to be a hero and perfectionist about all of this! Just do what you can, when you can. Make health a priority to the best of your ability, and be grateful for and mindful about everything you eat! Enjoy this recipe and if you try it out, share your thoughts. Cheers to good food!

Photo by Yoko Correia Nishimiya on Unsplash