It was a few weeks ago that I saw an internet-friend share a smoothie she’s been loving lately. For days, I thought about that peanut butter date smoothie, until I made my way to Trader Joe’s to grab some dates for myself.

Now, this smoothie has been a major pregnancy craving! It’s the perfect healthy “milkshake” that you can drink any time of day. It makes an excellent breakfast but also an amazing after-dinner treat.

And if you’re pregnant, even better! Dates are said to be beneficial when it comes to laboring and delivery. To my understanding, there aren’t many studies on the pregnancy-related health benefits of dates. However, the three studies that have been done all had similar findings. But either way, dates are a healthy sweet treat that can kick the sweet tooth you may have while still getting in lots of nutrients. Dates are a great source of natural energy, are high in fiber, folate, iron, vitamin K, potassium, and an electrolyte known to keep blood pressure low.

If that isn’t reason enough to start incorporating dates into your pregnancy (or non-pregnancy) routine, here’s more. This smoothie actually tastes like a milkshake without any of the bad stuff. I promise you’ll slurp it down in just a few minutes!

Here’s how to make one:

Blend together ice, milk, a scoop or two of peanut butter, a banana, and two or three medjool dates. That’s it! It really doesn’t yet much easier (or yummier).

I eyeball the ice and milk, but typically will use about a cup of ice and enough milk to cover most or all of the ice at the bottom of the blender. To make this smoothie even healthier, be sure to grab a natural, unsweetened peanut butter that doesn’t include any of the additives peanut butter is known for. I love a crunchy PB in this recipe!