HEALTHY MANGO LASSI WITH COYO

Smoothies and fresh pressed juices are synonymous with summer. It's been so overwhelmingly warm over the past few weeks in Geneva it's been hard to get by a day without having a fresh juice or an icy smoothie. If you believe in or follow Ayurvedic beliefs about diet and seasons, you will notice that you tend to crave lighter, colder and more raw foods in the summer. In part, I have been making smoothies almost every day. Smoothies fill me up much more than juices do, especially as I tend to add a ton of delicious ingredients inside including protein powder and vegan yogurts. 

One of the markets here in Geneva sells such incredible produce, and I couldn't keep my hands off the little Thai mangoes they had. If you've never had one, there is quite a distinct difference between a little Thai mango and a larger, regular mango. They are super deep in orange color and their flavor is just beyond, they taste like mango candy they are so sweet! 

I had one in my fridge waiting to be eaten so I figured I'd make a delicious smoothie out of it. 

Mango lassi is a popular Indian drink, it's usually made with yogurt, mango and sometimes some cardamom (which I love), but I wanted to make a vegan version. 

I used COYO mango yogurt, a coconut almond blend milk, almond butter, chia seeds and gluten free oats to thicken it up and add a bit more fiber. I added a bit of hemp protein powder but that is optional! It came out super creamy and amazing. 

Ingredients:

1/2 ripe mango, peeled

4 oz. COYO coconut milk yogurt with mango

3/4 cup coconut almond blend milk

1 tsp chia seeds

1 tsp almond butter

1 tbsp gluten free oats

Pinch of cardamom

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth and serve cold. Enjoy!