Chocolate Covered Strawberry Smoothie

Chocolate is one of the great loves of my life that I can’t seem to shake….and I’m kind of okay with that.

My sweet tooth is something I am not going to be shaking anytime soon and instead of fighting it, I might as well find healthy ways of embracing it. Enter the Chocolate Covered Strawberry Smoothie!

This healthy sweet treat came to be when, one fateful day, my spirited little girl decided that smoothies were suddenly her mortal enemy. For real people! This little girl has been drinking and loving smoothies since before she sprouted her very first tooth, but she suddenly hated every beautiful blend of fruits and veggies I put in front of her. Since I am as stubborn and as strong willed as she is (the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree), I was not going to let her love of smoothies die without a serious fight. Break out the cacao!

If you are sitting there with question marks in your eyes, wondering what the hell “cacao” is (and how to say it), allow me to introduce you to this amazing antioxidant rich superfood. Cacao (pronounced “ka-cow”) is the raw, most unprocessed version of chocolate. It doesn’t have a natural sugars in it, so it needs to be combined with some naturally sweet goodness, like strawberries and dates!  It is not as sweet as the cocoa powder you may be used to working with, so until your taste buds adjust to this new superfood (that should absolutely be part of your life and diet), you may have to play with the sweetness level of this smoothie by how many dates you add or don’t add. 

After I had blended. Tasted. Adjusted and blended again, it was time to test out my weapon in the “Anti Smoothie Battle of 2016.”

“Alice, do you want to chocolate smoothie?”  I ask, showing off the little jelly jar I had brimming with chocolate cover strawberry smoothie and a bright straw.  

*gasps and wide eyes* 

“Oh yes, Mommy! Thank you! Thank you!” Alice squealed. Within 5 minutes, that lovely slurping sound, indicating the last of the smoothie was being sucked up rang through the kitchen.  I did my best to keep the maniacal laughter just in my head. My mommy super power had won yet again.

makes 3 servings

2 very ripe bananas

1 1/2 cup frozen strawberries

2 cups greens (I like spinach or kale) 

2 cups non-dairy milk

2 tablespoons cacao power

1 1/2 tablespoons chia seeds

2-4 pitted Medjool dates or to taste

1 tablespoon cacao chips, for garnish (optional)

Fresh strawberries, for garnish (optional)

1. Blend greens, milk, and dates until smooth.
2. Add bananas, strawberries, cacao powder,and chia seeds to the blender. Blend until smoothie.
3. Portion out into 3 glasses, garnish with cacao nibs and fresh strawberries (if using), and enjoy immediately. 

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