Strawberry Banana Smoothie

A low FODMAP smoothie of strawberries, half a firm banana per serving, lactose-free milk, and maple syrup.

Prep 5 min

Cook 1 min

Serves 2

Gluten-freeVegetarian

Ingredients

• 10 medium strawberries (about 130 g / 1 cup), fresh or frozen. That is 5 strawberries (65 g) per serving, the Monash low-FODMAP serve.
• 1 firm-yellow banana with no brown spots (about 100 g), sliced, or 2/3 of a brown-spotted banana (70 g). Firm is low at 100 g; spotted is low at 35 g, so this is within either serve per glass.
• 1 cup (240 ml) lactose-free milk, or unsweetened almond milk for a dairy-free version
• 1 to 2 teaspoons maple syrup, optional, to taste
• 4 to 5 ice cubes, if you are using fresh (not frozen) fruit
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
• 1/4 cup (about 60 g) plain lactose-free yogurt, optional, for a thicker, creamier blend

Instructions

Prep the fruit

1. Rinse the strawberries and pull off the green tops. Halve any large ones so they blend evenly.
2. Peel and slice the banana. Use the whole firm banana, or two-thirds of a spotted one, and save the rest for another use.
3. If you are using fresh fruit, gather the ice cubes now. If your strawberries are frozen, skip the ice so the smoothie does not turn too thin as it melts.

Blend and serve

1. Add the milk to the blender first, then the strawberries, banana, and optional yogurt, vanilla, and ice.
2. Blend on high for 30 to 45 seconds, until smooth. Stop and scrape down the sides once if any fruit sticks.
3. Taste. Add maple syrup 1 teaspoon at a time only if the strawberries need it, then blend again for a few seconds.
4. Pour into two glasses and serve right away for the best texture.

Tips & Substitutions

• Use frozen strawberries for a thicker pour. Frozen fruit gives you a milkshake texture without ice diluting the flavor. Keep the total at about 5 strawberries (65 g) per serving either way.
• Pick your milk by the label. Lactose-free cow's milk and unsweetened almond milk are both low-FODMAP at 1 cup. Skip regular cow's milk, keep oat milk to about 100 ml, and check the ingredient list for added inulin or chicory root.
• Keep the banana firm. A just-yellow banana with no brown spots is low at 100 g. If your banana is already spotty, use 1/3 of it (35 g) per serving.
• Sweeten with maple syrup. Ripe strawberries usually need nothing, but a teaspoon of maple syrup is well under its 1 tablespoon serve (honey is only low at about ½ teaspoon). Avoid sugar-free syrups made with sorbitol or xylitol.
• Add protein carefully. Plain whey isolate is very low in lactose. Check any powder for inulin, chicory root, FOS, sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, maltitol or isomalt.
• Thin it out for a drinkable version. If it is too thick, add milk 2 tablespoons at a time. If it is too thin, add a few ice cubes rather than more fruit.

Why This Works

• Strawberries at the tested serve. Monash lists strawberries as low-FODMAP at 5 medium (65 g), exactly what each glass gets.
• The banana is measured by ripeness. Bananas gain fructans as they ripen, so a firm banana is low at 100 g and a spotty one at 35 g. Half a firm banana per glass gives body and sweetness.
• The milk carries no lactose load. Lactose-free milk has the milk sugar already broken down, and unsweetened almond milk is naturally low in FODMAPs, so the creamy base does not add a lactose problem.
• Nothing bottled. Every ingredient is measured fruit, low-FODMAP milk and optional maple syrup, with no bottled syrup or juice blend.

Storage

Smoothies are best right after blending, but you can refrigerate leftovers in a sealed jar for up to 24 hours; shake or re-blend before drinking, since the fruit will settle. To freeze, pour into an ice cube tray and blend the cubes with a splash of milk later, keeping the same 5 strawberries and half a firm banana per serving. Before you scale the recipe up, look up each ingredient in the FODMAP Foods app to see how its rating changes with portion size.