Who remembers the vintage ’70s commercial for Calgon bath soap, with the lady who has all these stressors like her boss, baby, traffic and dog, and pleads, “Calgon, take me away….” And then she’s in a relaxing bubble bath and all is good in the world. Ok, well even if you haven’t seen the commercial, there are probably some foods that can transport you to a more relaxing place. Piña Colada, anyone?
I always think of the Piña Colada as the classic vacation drink. It’s unapologetically tropical, refreshing, creamy and sweet. I like it just as much without alcohol as I do with. My son, who has a limited range of foods he enjoys (PC for “he’s picky!), loves a Piña Colada, especially the pineapple and coconut.
When my friend Catherine McCord’s new book, Smoothie Project, came out, I was so excited because my son is also limited in his smoothie repertoire, i.e. he drinks the same exact smoothie every morning for breakfast. I am always trying to change it up, but he never lets me. So this book was exactly what I needed to open his eyes and mind to other smoothies. After all, it was another mom who came up with these recipes; another mom who has never nagged him about anything! I asked him to choose one smoothie recipe that I could make for him and he didn’t hesitate when he saw the Piña Colada smoothie.
Smoothie Project is the result of years of Catherine making smoothies every day for her family and watching some of their unexplained ailments disappear. Her book has almost 100 smoothie recipes, so there’s something for everyone and enough recipes so that if you drink a smoothie every day, you’ll never get bored. What I do love about smoothies is that you can adapt them as you’re making them. Blend, taste, adjust, taste, enjoy! And you can also add so many nutrition boosters that can otherwise be hard to use. I loved this smoothie, but my son wanted more pineapple. That’s easy! My husband doesn’t eat collagen. No problem, let’s swap in raw cashew butter! I think you could also turn this into a yummy popsicle, too. Just remember to make sure your smoothies have high quality fat, fiber and protein to balance out fruit and promote blood sugar stability! Any favorite smoothie combos?
Please tag me @pamelasalzman #pamelasalzman if you make any recipes from my website or my book!
Shop the tools I used for this recipe by clicking on the images below:
Piña Colada Smoothie
adapted from Smoothie Project, by Catherine McCordIngredients
- 1/2 fresh or frozen banana peeled
- 1/2 cup 80 g fresh or frozen pineapple chunks
- 1/4 cup 33 g frozen cauliflower florets (this adds creaminess and NO flavor, I promise)
- 3/4 cup 180 ml coconut milk or milk of choice
- 1 Tablespoon hemp seeds
- 1 serving collagen peptides
- 1 handful of ice
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
Notes
Bee Pollen, Chia Seeds, Flax Seeds, Vanilla or Plain Protein Powder, Spirulina, Chlorella, Reishi, Ashwagandha, Probiotic Powder, Greens Powder, Goji Berries, Maca Powder, Pink Himalayan Salt, Brazil Nuts.
4 Comments
Will one taste the cauliflower if I use fresh versus frozen?
I prefer frozen since it blends better (more smooth.)
This is SO tasty! I can confirm the cauliflower is undetectable. This was pineapple-y enough even with 70 grams of fruit for those being extra carb-conscious. I wear a continuous glucose monitor and saw a very minimal rise in my glucose levels which was AWESOME!
That’s so great to hear! Love adding veggies to smoothies and they help with blood sugar stability. Thanks, Vanessa!