Banana Date Shake with a2 Milk®

This post brought to you by The a2 Milk Company™. The content and opinions expressed below are that of Ceci Bean.

When Sebastian turned one year old, we slowly started introducing cow's milk into his diet. I had heard that some children don't respond well to the taste, but our kid took to it quickly. And just like that, our family's milk consumption soared.

However, we have friends whose kiddos have had a harder time with dairy (and other foods), so I feel sympathetic to the challenges of finding the best alternative to regular cow's milk. That's why I was interested to try a2 Milk® and learn more about it.

It seems that originally, all milk contained only something known as the A2 protein. Over time a genetic mutation occurred in cows and a new type of protein developed called A1. This A1 protein causes digestive discomfort for some folks and is in all cows’ milk in-stores today, even organic milk. Since a2 Milk® has the A2 protein, there's a good chance that folks (and kids) who have a little trouble digesting regular dairy might be able to enjoy it more easily.

Because I was a little concerned about how the protein was added and what else might be in the milk, I was happy to learn that their cows naturally produce the milk with only the A2 protein. Also, their farmers are certified in the humane treatment of animals, their cows are fed a vegetarian diet and never given hormones or rBST, and the milk is antibiotic free and contains no artificial ingredients or additives.

With this information, I was excited to try a2 Milk® in my Banana Date Shake recipe below.

You see, along with milk our kid also goes bananas for bananas. Or at least he does for days at a time and then every now and then decides he wants nothing to do with them. Does your kid do that too? Because of this, I buy large bunches of bananas regularly, but I also have to be ready to find other ways to use them up when Sebastian is not in the mood for them. Since a person can only consume so much banana bread (That's a lie. There is no end to the amount of banana bread I can consume. Om nom nom!), I end up freezing whatever hasn't been eaten at the end of the week. Since this has been going on for some time now, I have a sizable stash of frozen bananas to use.

So I guess it was inevitable that with our plethora of bananas and milk, we would end up mixing the two. Throw in some dates (which, by the way, you can totally pit a date with one hand when your darling banana-hating child wants you to hold them while you're attempted to make a snack for yourself) and a dash of cinnamon and you've got a satisfying and relatively healthy treat!

And, surprise surprise, your little one will probably want to try a sip of what you're having. And then he'll want the rest. Who can blame him? It is delicious! We will definitely be enjoying this quick and yummy snack again. And it must be said that the a2 Milk® was every bit as tasty as the milk we typically purchase.

Banana Date Shake

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup a2 Milk®
• 1/2 large frozen banana
• 2 dates (pitted)
• pinch of cinnamon

Instructions

1. Put ingredients in a blender.
2. Enjoy!

If you'd like to try a2 Milk® for yourself, grab this a2 Milk® $1 Off Coupon and check the Product Locator to see which grocery stores near you are carrying it. 

For more information on the a2 Milk Company™ as well as other delicious recipes, check them out on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.

If you try this shake, please let me know what you think!