Best Pregnancy Breakfast 7: Banana-Almond Shake

 

This has been a favorite this week at the Gray house, and a friend just asked for the recipe, so here it is:

2 frozen peeled bananas, in chunks

1 1/2 C milk or soymilk

2.5 oz almonds (mine were sliced; I imagine whatever would work, but sliced makes an easier job for your blender)

1-2 Tbs maple syrup

a few drops almond extract

Place the almonds and the milk in the blender on high and let them blend for 3-4 minutes, until the almonds are completely pulverized. Add the bananas, maple syrup and almond extract and blend until smooth.

Best Pregnancy Breakfast 6: The Blue-Green Shake

makes 2 medium-sized servings

I know what you’re thinking: that’s not blue-green at all. In fact it looks just like all the other shakes I make with blueberries. I was surprised, actually, that a shake with a cup of fresh spinach in it didn’t have more of a green tinge. But maybe that’s a positive thing, because it will convince you even further that a breakfast shake with spinach will offend neither your taste buds nor your aesthetic sensibilities. Truth be told: you really can’t taste it at all.

1 C thick plain yogurt (you can’t beat my recipe!)

2 Tbs real maple syrup

1/2 C soymilk (vanilla soymilk would be especially good)

1 banana, peeled and broken into chunks

1 overflowing C frozen blueberries

1 generous cup fresh (preferably organic) baby spinach

Look at this beautiful, stratified portrait of health! Hit the button and blend it all up!

Mango Lassi

Yes, in truth, it’s basically a fruit shake, but it’s so wonderfully exotic; it really transcends the genre. If you don’t have rosewater or cardamom it won’t be the end of the world…but it will be just a fruit shake, as opposed to a flavor-teleportation to a distant land that you’ve only ever dreamed of.

Flesh of two ripe mangoes (put them in the fridge beforehand so they’re good and cold)

1 C tart plain yogurt

1/2 C milk or buttermilk

1 tsp rosewater

a pinch of cardamom

a few ice cubes

1-3 Tbs sugar

My mother-in-law gave me this groovy mango slicer, and it’s changed my mango life—everyone knows that the biggest pain with mangoes is trying to get the stubborn flesh off that accursed pit.

 

Blend all ingredients, except sugar, until smooth. At this point you decide how sweet you want your lassi—add sugar by tablespoons until you’re content. Light some incense, turn on a little Ravi Shankar, and enjoy.

Tropical Blueberry Shake

 

Yes, yes, it looks just like my tangy blueberry shake, but I promise you that the flavor is toute autre. In fact this shake is a flavor explosion, and is full of all sorts of goodness for humans looking to start their day off right.

1 banana

5 oz. silken tofu

1/2 C pineapple chunks

1 C frozen blueberries

1/2 C tangy fruit yogurt

1/3 C coconut milk

3 Tbl orange juice concentrate

a few drops of vanilla

milk or soy milk, if necessary

Put it all in your blender/food processor and puree until smooth. Add a little milk and blend again if the shake seems too thick.

Best Pregnancy Breakfast 4: PB-Banana Shake

Another one of our favorite family breakfast treats, this shake adds a protein kick to get you through the morning. Or if you’re a pregnant lady like me, it’ll get you through the next two hours.

1 1/4 C milk or soy milk

1 1/2 frozen bananas, sliced

Half of a 15-oz. package of silken tofu

2 Tbs maple syrup

2-3 Tbs natural smooth peanut butter

 

Put it all in the blender and blend…..

 

….until you have two glasses of creamy, luxurious deliciousness.

Best Pregnancy Breakfast 2: Tangy Blueberry Shake

Another delicious, soothing and healthy breakfast choice came together this morning: the tangy blueberry shake. Blueberries continue the antioxidant theme, soy brings extra protein and natural therapy for the pregnant lady's hormonal excesses, buttermilk gives it that irresistible tang and maple syrup makes it feel a little nostalgic. I actually measured my ingredients this time. I'm really making en effort here.

1 frozen banana cut into chunks
1 C frozen blueberries
1/2 container silken tofu (make sure it's silken!)
1/2 pint (about 1 C) buttermilk
2 Tbl maple syrup

Before I go any further I just want to make sure that everyone is on the same page with buttermilk. I've seen fat-conscious people shrink away from it, as if it were actually butter+milk. It's just fermented low-fat milk; the 1 cup in this recipe has 2.5 grams of fat. Buttermilk also makes awesome Irish soda bread (uh-oh, I feel a craving coming on...). Ok, now that everybody's clear on buttermilk:

Put all the ingredients in the blender!

















This recipe makes a big glass for you and a little glass for your envious spouse/child. The little glass proved not to be enough satisfaction for my 2 year-old; he keeps coming over to my glass for more...so maybe go drink this in your closet where no one will bother you.