Designed to take full advantage of the late summer/early autumn harvest, Tropical Smoothie Café is offering a new roasted smoothie blend and nutrient-packed ingredients designed as a powerful get-up-and-go breakfast or any time of day meal option. The all-new Chia Banana Boost Smoothie, blends a seasonally inspired mix of almonds, cinnamon, whole grain oats, dates, and coconut, plus new oven-roasted bananas and chia seeds. Additionally, to further customize this new smoothie, guests have the option to add late summer strawberries or peaches or the fall-favorite peanut butter to the Chia Banana Boost.
“Chia seeds have a long history as a super food,” says Lisa Dimson, CMO of Tropical Smoothie Café. “Just one serving of the Chia add-in delivers 2 grams of fiber, 1 gram of protein, a great punch of Omega 3s, and lots of antioxidants … all with just 30 calories. We know our consumers are searching for superfoods and other better-for-you options so we’re not surprised that our consumers are reacting so favorably to the Chia Banana Boost.”
Often regarded as a favorite pre-race snack by distance runners and fabled to be the ancient Mayan’s secret ingredient for strength and energy, chia seeds have started appearing in a number of prepackaged health foods. Tropical Smoothie Café will be among the first to offer it in a made-to-order smoothie designed to make the tiny powerhouse food easy to enjoy anytime, anywhere. The brand also hopes to prove that chia seeds can be as tasty as they are nutritious by offering the seeds as an add-in to any smoothie on the menu.
“On their own, chia seeds are fairly plain,” Dimson says. “They’ve got a great crunch, but a pretty neutral flavor profile. By pairing them with our signature fresh fruits and vegetables, we’re showing people that chia seeds are versatile in any of our great tasting smoothies.”
The roasted bananas, a unique new twist for traditional smoothies, are slow-roasted to a caramelized golden brown in-house, which releases a naturally sweet flavor in this potassium-rich fruit that makes the Chia Banana Boost taste so delicious and craveable,” Dimson says. “Our method of roasting not only intensifies the fruity flavor without processed sweeteners, but also has minimal impact in decreasing the nutritional benefits of this amazing product.”
The Chia Banana Boost Smoothie as well as chia seed add-in and other Fall Favorite Smoothies, like the UnBEETable Berry and the Spiced Pear, will remain on the menu through October, while supplies last.
