Today’s orange banana smoothie recipe may seem like an odd combination, but it makes a great drink that will supply you with an abundance of vitamins and minerals.
Main Ingredients
Today’s orange banana smoothie recipe contains:
- Banana: We recommend using ripe bananas for this recipe.
- Orange juice: We used freshly pressed orange juice but it’s fine to use either freshly squeezed or unsweetened bottled orange juice.
- Greek yogurt: Yogurt adds richness to the smoothie, making the drink delicious and dessert-like.
- Milk: Milk helps the ice blend into the smoothie. If you can’t drink milk, there are some alternatives which we will discuss below.
- Mint: We love garnishing our drinks with a sprig of fresh spearmint, but this is totally optional.
- Ice.
Milk Substitutions for This Smoothie
- Nut milk: Any type of nut milk (Almond, cashew, etc.) works great with this recipe.
- Coconut milk: A coconut is technically not a nut, so it won’t aggravate any nut allergies. Plus, it tastes great!
- Oat milk: Despite being nut-free, this particular type of plant-based milk has an interesting nutty flavor to it, making it the perfect dairy substitute for those who are allergic to nuts but love the flavor.
Is Orange Banana Smoothie Healthy?
Yes, our orange banana smoothie recipe is healthy. Here’s why:
Bananas are potassium-dense: a medium-sized fruit (4.2 ounces) provides between 13% and 22% of your recommended daily intake (2000-3400 milligrams). This mineral is essential for heart health in a variety of ways — it helps control blood pressure and may even lower your risk of stroke.
Although not fibrous, a medium banana contains approximately 10% of the average person’s daily recommended fiber intake. This is soluble fiber, which absorbs moisture in the gut to form a gel that slows digestion and keeps you feeling full longer.
Due to the soluble fiber content, our bodies digest bananas slowly, preventing blood-sugar spikes. For that reason, even though this smoothie tastes just as sweet as a milkshake, it is a healthier option.
Apart from those benefits, bananas provide essential nutrients such as vitamin B6, vitamin C, magnesium, and vitamin A. They are present in varying amounts and help your body operate normally.
As if that weren’t enough, oranges are also packed with vitamin C. One medium orange contains about 70 mg of vitamin C, while 1 cup of orange juice contains 124 mg.
Vitamin C is a crucial antioxidant that helps promote a healthy immune system and prevent some diseases.
If you want to learn more about the importance of vitamin C, check out this detailed article. It contains all the information you need to know, from the recommended daily vitamin C intake to the effects of deficiencies.
Here are a few of our other smoothies that are also packed with vitamin C:
How Long Does It Last?
Most of our other smoothies last up to 2 days in the fridge. However, we can’t say the same for this orange banana smoothie. The reason is that both oranges and bananas oxidize very quickly.
Raw bananas will naturally become discolored over time. Mere discoloration isn’t harmful but does make them a bit less pleasant to eat or drink.
As for oranges, their juice will become bitter over time due to the presence of limonin.
Limonin is a substance in citrus and some other plants that makes the fruits taste bitter. You may have experienced this in orange, lemon, and lime juice.
In other words, the longer you let this smoothie sit, the less pleasant it will become.
In addition, whole milk and Greek yogurt are among the main ingredients of today’s orange banana smoothie recipe. These two ingredients are highly perishable and can reduce its shelf life significantly.
We recommend drinking this orange banana smoothie as soon as possible. If there’s any left over, you should put it in the fridge right away and finish it within the next 24 hours.
Orange Banana Smoothie Recipe
You only need 6 ingredients for today’s orange banana smoothie recipe and most of them are probably available in your fridge. Let’s begin.
- prep TIME 10 mins
- total TIME 10 mins
- COURSE Beverage
- CUISINE American
- SERVINGS servings
- CALORIES 149 kcal
INGREDIENTS
- 16 oz banana (peeled and cut into chunks)
- 1 cup orange juice (freshly pressed or squeezed)
- 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 2 cups ice
- 8 mint leaves
INSTRUCTIONS
Put 2 cups ice, 16 oz banana, 1 cup orange juice, 1/4 cup Greek yogurt and 1/4 cup whole milk into a blender.
Blend in 20 - 30 seconds until smooth and creamy.
Pour the smoothie into 4 glasses.
Garnish with fresh mint leaves and enjoy.
NUTRITION
Tuyet Pham
Head Chef, Culinary ConsultantLuna Regina
Writer, Author- Lloyd PennThis orange banana smoothie a refreshing and healthy way to start a day. The combination of sweet oranges and bananas creates a deliciously creamy and satisfying smoothie that's packed with vitamins and nutrients. Yummy!