Cocoa-Almond Smoothie

Details:

• Total Time: 5 minutes
• Makes: 2 servings

➜ What’s so brilliant about cocoa beyond its rich flavor? It’s a good source of iron, magnesium, and zinc and clocks in at almost 2 grams of fiber per tablespoon. But most important, cocoa delivers flavanols, which help lower blood pressure, improve blood flow to the brain and heart, and make platelets (the component in blood that forms clots) less sticky, which allows blood to move more freely throughout the body.

Ingredients:

• 2 ripe bananas (preferably frozen), sliced into 1-inch rounds
• 3 pitted dates
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 2 tablespoons almond butter
• 1 cup ice cubes Dark chocolate shavings, optional

Directions:

• In a blender, combine bananas, dates, cocoa, almond milk, almond butter, and ice and blend until the mixture is smooth.
• Pour into 2 glasses or jars, add chocolate shavings on top, if using, and serve.

Nutrition Facts:

• Per Serving: 260 Calories, 11 G Fat (1 G Saturated Fat), 6 G Protein, 71 Mg Sodium, 42 G Carbohydrates, 22 Sugars (0 G Added Sugar), 28 G Fiber