Tropical Smoothie

Here are some kid-friendly tropical fruit and coconut milk smoothies guaranteed to put a smile in your day. It’s just like an aloha day at the beach. Well, almost. 🙂

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Ingredients

• 1 cup frozen fruit (mango chunks, pineapple chunks, strawberries, raspberries, and/or peaches)
• 1 cup coconut yogurt, coconut milk, or other plant-based yogurt or milk
• 4 dates, pits removed
• 3 fresh berries (optional)
• non-dairy whipped cream garnish (optional)

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Directions

Put the coconut milk, frozen fruit, and dates in a blender.

Blend until smooth, pausing to scrape down the sides of the blender if needed. If the fruit is really frozen, you might need to add a bit more coconut milk.

Serve in your favorite glasses, with berries on top or a swirl of non-dairy whipped cream. Enjoy your tropical smoothie in your most aloha state of mind!

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Inspiration

Here is the “Contemplation Before Eating” from Plum Village:

This food is a gift of the earth, the sky, numerous living beings, and much hard and loving work.

May we eat with mindfulness and gratitude so as to be worthy to receive this food.

May we recognize and transform unwholesome mental formations, especially our greed, and learn to eat with moderation.

May we keep our compassion alive by eating in such a way that reduces the suffering of living beings, stops contributing to climate change, and heals and preserves our precious planet.

We accept this food so that we may nurture our brotherhood and sisterhood, build our Sangha (community), and nourish our ideal of serving all living beings.

What a wonderful thing to contemplate before each meal!