Mango Cashew Smoothie Recipe
Warm weather is here and that means it’s smoothie season! I drink smoothies year-round, but if you like to wait until the sun comes out, then today’s post is for you. Today’s recipe features one of my favorite fruits: mango! Read on for the recipe and to learn why this smoothie is a healthy option, as well as tips for meal prepping smoothies.
Nutrition and health benefits
This smoothie contains only four ingredients:
Mango
Mango is an excellent source of vitamin C, with 1 cup providing more than half of the recommended intake for the day. Mango is also a good source of B vitamins, including folate and vitamin B6. Mango is a higher carbohydrate fruit, however, so portion size should be limited especially for those with diabetes or who want to lose weight. One cup of chopped mango contains about 25 grams of carbohydrate.
Cashews
Cashews are a good source of healthy unsaturated fat and protein. They also contain important minerals, such as magnesium, iron, and selenium. The addition of cashews to this smoothie is helpful for minimizing blood sugar spikes because of the protein and fat content; protein and fat also help make the smoothie more filling.
Plain Greek yogurt
I know many people don’t like the taste of plain Greek yogurt, but the good thing about adding it to a smoothie is that the fruit, nuts, and milk will help cover up the tart flavor of the yogurt. Adding flavored yogurt to a smoothie is an option, but the sugar content will be much higher. You can add nonfat, low-fat, or full-fat yogurt to smoothies depending on your preference. Greek yogurt is higher in protein than regular yogurt, which again is helpful for reducing blood sugar spikes and increasing satiety.
Milk
Any type of milk works well in this smoothie, but I recommend unsweetened varieties if using a non-dairy substitute, like almond, coconut, or oat milk. Cow’s milk will provide more protein than most non-dairy milk.
Mango Cashew Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 cup frozen chopped mango
- 1/4 cup unsalted cashews
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/2-3/4 cup milk (non-dairy if desired)
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until completely combined. Add more or less milk depending on your desired consistency. Enjoy right away!
Smoothie meal prep
Smoothies are a simple and portable way to pack a lot of nutrition into one cup. They are easy to make, but there are steps you can take to make it even easier! You can put most of the ingredients together ahead of time in small plastic bags or containers. The only ingredient you would want to leave out is the milk or whatever you are using for your liquid. You can use almost any fruit, vegetable (spinach freezes great!), nut, seed, or nut butter when making meal prep smoothies.
Something else that might be helpful is freezing yogurt in ice cube trays and then popping a few yogurt cubes into each meal prep smoothie bag or container. Not freezing the yogurt ahead of time can cause all of your ingredients to stick together and make it harder to blend.
So, for this recipe, I’d start by freezing yogurt ahead of time in ice cube trays. Once the yogurt is frozen, add your mango, cashews, and yogurt cubes to a plastic bag or container; repeat until you have filled all your bags or containers. Once you are ready to make your smoothie, pull out your meal prep smoothie mix, throw the contents into the blender along with your milk, and voila! Your smoothie is ready to go.
Smoothies are so versatile and a great way to make a quick and easy meal or snack. Try meal prepping smoothies to make it an even quicker process. Stay tuned for more smoothie recipes this summer!
