Mango, Banana & Light Coconut Milk Smoothie
A fruity, velvety smoothie packed with fibre and polyphenols to nourish your gut microbiome every day.
Ingredients
- 150 g mango (fresh or frozen, ideally very ripe)
- 1 medium banana (slightly underripe, with a few green streaks remaining for more resistant starch)
- 200 ml light coconut milk (tinned or carton, with no additives or added inulin)
- 100 ml cold water (or a few ice cubes for a cooler, thicker texture)
- 1 tsp fresh lime juice (optional, to preserve vitamin C and brighten the flavours)
- 1 tbsp chia seeds (optional, for an extra boost of soluble fibre)
Instructions
Preparation Steps
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Prepare your fruit. If using fresh mango, peel it and cut the flesh into roughly 2 cm cubes. If using frozen fruit (mango or banana), remove it from the freezer a few minutes beforehand to make blending easier — or blend straight from frozen for a thicker, icier texture.
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Choose your banana wisely. Go for a slightly underripe banana, one whose skin still shows a hint of green: it will be richer in resistant starch, a valuable fermentable substrate for your gut bacteria. If easy digestion and a very mild flavour are your priority, a fully ripe banana works just as well.
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Add the ingredients to the blender. Pour the light coconut milk and cold water (or ice cubes) into the blender jug first — starting with the liquids protects the blades and helps everything blend smoothly. Then add the mango cubes, the banana cut into rounds, the lime juice if using, and the chia seeds if desired.
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Blend straight away. Blend on full power for 30 to 60 seconds, until you achieve a perfectly smooth, creamy consistency. Serve immediately: blending just before drinking minimises oxidation of the vitamins (particularly the vitamin C from the mango) and preserves all the flavour.
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Adjust the consistency to your liking. If the smoothie is too thick, add a splash of cold water or a couple of ice cubes and blend briefly again. If you'd like it richer and creamier, add a little more coconut milk. Avoid adding sugar: ripe fruit provides more than enough natural sweetness, and keeping added sugars to a minimum is essential for a balanced gut-friendly profile.
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Serve and drink slowly. Pour into a large glass or smoothie bowl. Take your time and sip slowly: drinking too quickly increases the glycaemic load perceived by your gut and may cause digestive discomfort, particularly if you are sensitive to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
🌿 Gut-Friendly Note
This smoothie is potentially beneficial for your microbiome thanks to its content of fibre (both soluble and insoluble) and polyphenols from the mango and banana. These compounds act as fermentable substrates for your gut bacteria and may contribute to greater microbial diversity.
⚠️ If you have IBS or follow a low-FODMAP diet: ripe mango and fully ripe banana can increase your FODMAP load. Opt for half an underripe banana and reduce the mango to 80–100 g. You can also replace some of the mango with strawberries, blueberries, or kiwi, which are generally better tolerated in small portions.
💡 Looking for a genuine probiotic boost? Light coconut milk is not a fermented food. To benefit from live cultures, stir in 2 to 3 tablespoons of kefir or lactose-free yoghurt at the end of blending, in place of some of the water.