How to make a banana and cacao smoothie

Bananas are one of our favourite ingredients for anything because there's no need to worry about timing. Once they start to brown, the better they taste.

Along with banana bread and squares, we use our super ripe bananas for smoothies. This smoothie is pure treat. It is not necessarily something to have every day, but we love it as an afternoon pick-me-up. Double the ice quota for really hot days. You can even whip it up the morning after a night out and it should help with any unpleasant side effects.

Bananas are known for their potassium content, which is so important for you. The warmer it is, the more you sweat and electrolytes you lose. This leads to dehydration and muscle cramping. Bananas counteract that and even bring your blood pressure down. The pectin in bananas make bananas very easy to digest, which is why we love this smoothie when we're particularly dehydrated or not feeling great.

The water, ice and almond milk are extremely helpful for hydration. If you do opt for raw cacao powder there are many benefits. Not only is cacao a rich antioxidant, but it is also very high in magnesium, which will also help with any seasonal cramping, will boost your metabolism, and energy levels. If you're feeling queasy, skip the cacao and this creamy satiating smoothie, should be quite soothing.

Ingredients

2 bananas (very ripe)

2-3 teaspoons raw cacao (optional)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder

1/2 cup almond milk

1/2 cup water

2 handfuls ice or, freeze your very ripe bananas in advance

Method

First blend everything without the ice. Then add in the ice and then blend in full.

Meryl Zises and Lily Rogath are the founder of Imbibery London. Follow them on Instagram here.