Tropical Passion ‘Nana Smoothie

Adrienne Nye

What’s life without a little passion? Passionfruit that is. I can’t help it but every time I walk by passionfruit at the market the smell just takes me right back to Hawaii, to a little farmer’s market I found on an early Saturday morning near Waikiki beach. I remember talking to the woman working the produce stand about what grows in Hawaii, how they grow things and how to tell when these little exotic fruits are ripe. I let my inner plant geek loose and I learned a lot from asking this woman my questions. It just goes to show how willing farmers are to talk about their crops and share their knowledge. I love connecting to the food I eat by getting to know the people who grow it.

Coming from a plant science background I am always amazed at how much and how little I know about the plants I consume. I am always delighted and surprised by the smells, tastes and crazy shapes that plants create. I encourage you to experiment and be daring with your choices at the market. Pick up something you have never tried before…like a dragon fruit, starfruit or cactus pear. They are all delicious eaten raw, blended in a smoothie or pressed through your juicer (although be mindful when juicing fruits as the sugar content can be high). The possibilities are endless not to mention the nutritional profiles.

The scientific name for passionfruit is Passiflora edulis and belongs to the family of flowering plants known as Passifloraceae. Also belonging to this family is the mapop, which is used in herbal medicine to treat nervous anxiety and insomnia.

Passion fruit is a rich source of Vitamins A and C, potassium, β-carotene and cryptoxanthin-β (antioxidants), iron, copper, magnesium, phosphorus and is also a good source of dietary fiber. I imagine this smoothie would be delicious with mango in place of banana (if bananas are not your jam) or with some pineapple to add another tropical twist.

Tropical Passion ‘Nana Smoothie

Ingredients:

2 ripe passionfruit (fruit should be completely yellow and smell fragrant)
2 frozen bananas
2 tbsp coconut flakes
1 tsp coconut oil
2 Medjool dates, pitted
1-2 cups of water or coconut milk
Fresh local bee pollen as garnish (optional)

Instructions: Cut your passionfruit in half and scoop the seeds into your blender. Add in the remaining ingredients. Blend on high until texture is smooth and seeds have been pulverized. Close your eyes, breathe deep, imagine the beach and palm trees. Let your senses guide you on a vacation to the tropics!

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Adrienne Nye

Editor at Young and Raw

Adrienne has a B.Sc. in Biology from UVic and an M.Sc. in Plant Science from UBC. She joined the team at Young and Raw in June 2013 as Editor and looks forward to inspiring as many people as possible to build a more compassionate, balanced and loving world. Inside and out.