Clean Eating Cranberry Banana Smoothie Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Can you eat raw cranberries in smoothies? ›

Cranberries are more than just the makings of a sweet sauce. You can add them to smoothies or salads, or eat them whole. Eating raw cranberries is safe and easy, though their sharp, bitter flavor isn't for everyone.

But, there is a common mistake that people make when preparing their smoothie of choice. The new study found that smoothies combining bananas with berries proved to decrease in flavanols (a key nutrient in berries) after being blended together. Considering the health benefits of flavanols, this presents a problem.

You May Experience Constipation: Banana contains a significant amount of tannic acid. While this chemical isn't harmful in small doses, anyone who eats several bananas or consume banana shake daily in one sitting may experience chronic constipation. So, try to have it in moderate amount.

Cranberry has relatively high levels of oxalate, chemicals that may raise the risk of kidney stones in some people. If you have kidney stones, talk to your doctor before taking cranberry supplements or drinking a lot of cranberry juice. DO NOT use cranberry if you already have a UTI.

There are lots of ways to add this fruit to your diet. Some varieties, such as dried cranberries, cranberry juice, and canned cranberry sauce, are available year-round. The healthiest way to enjoy cranberries is to eat them fresh. Raw cranberries take about 16 months to fully mature and are gathered in early fall.

If you're looking to cut calories and sugar from your diet, water is the perfect choice for liquid for smoothies. Not only is it calorie-free and sugar-free, but it's also money-free!

Good fat options for smoothies include nuts, seeds, nut butter, avocados or Greek yogurt, which can also provide protein. Regan also recommends choosing a high-protein liquid like dairy milk or soy milk. You can also add a scoop of protein powder.

Citrus fruits like lime, oranges or grapefruits if combined with bananas, lead to indigestion or stomach discomfort for some people.

What fruits should not be mixed in smoothies? ›

For those who want to consume smoothies with bananas, or other high PPO activity fruits and vegetables such as beet greens, the suggestion is to not combine them with flavanol-rich fruits such as berries, grapes and cocoa.

The researchers found that those who drank the banana smoothie had 84% lower levels of flavanols in their body compared to the control. “We were really surprised to see how quickly adding a single banana decreased the level of flavanols in the smoothie and the levels of flavanol absorbed in the body,” Ottaviani said.

Potential Toxins Formation: Ayurveda suggests that combining bananas and milk may create Ama, a concept referring to toxins or undigested food material. Ama is considered a precursor to various health issues, and Ayurveda aims to prevent its formation.

If you're adding nuts or cashews to your smoothie, they can cause problems as they're hard for the digestive system to break down. Another common culprit could be your protein. Many cheap proteins are filled with unnecessary fillers and artificial sugars that can cause digestive upset.

It's said that the best time to sip on a banana shake is in the morning, usually at breakfast, but when it comes with so many health perks you can have it anytime you need a boost. It is surely a versatile drink that can be enjoyed by most people, tailored to support specific health or fitness goals.

Well, that's actually pretty easy. Wash and thinly chop a few fresh, raw cranberries as a garnish for a salad or a stir-in for your morning oatmeal. This use of the unsweetened, raw cranberry highlights its unique flavor profile without it becoming overkill.

Yes, raw cranberries are safe to consume raw, but you probably don't want to eat them that way. "Cranberries are safe to eat raw. However, usually they are cooked and have sugar added because of the bitter and sharp taste they have when raw," says Kelly West Keyser, a registered dietitian in Alabama.

One of the best-known benefits of cranberries is their use in promoting urinary tract health. Since the turn of the century, cranberries have been used as a folk remedy for the treatment of bacterial urinary tract infections (UTIs), which cause frequent and painful urination.

HOW MUCH CRANBERRIES TO EAT DAILY? Studies confirming the health-promoting properties of cranberries have typically used doses of 100-300 g of fresh cranberries, equivalent to 7-10 g of dried cranberries, and 100-150 ml of 100% cranberry juice.