Enjoy More Fruits & Vegetables with Nutritious Smoothie Recipes

Smoothies are one of the easiest ways to work more fruits and
vegetables into your diet, and their fresh, fun flavors can win
over even the most produce-wary kids. The basic ingredients for any
smoothie are simply liquid plus fruit or vegetables. A smoothie can
be as healthy or low-calorie as you want, and they’re a nutritious
choice for breakfast or an afternoon snack. By making your own
smoothies, you can control the amount of sugar, calories and fat,
and you can easily add beneficial nutrients such as fiber, vitamin
C, ginseng or protein powders for an extra boost.

Dietary substitutions in smoothies are simple: You can easily
replace sherbet with regular yogurt to reduce the sugar content, or
use skim milk instead of ice cream for less fat ? without
sacrificing rich, satisfying flavor. Use milk, yogurt or
silken-style tofu for extra calcium. Try fresh or frozen fruit. (To
keep your smoothie healthy, avoid fruits frozen in sweetened
syrup.) Frozen fruit makes a smoothie colder, smoother and thicker;
a mix of both fresh and frozen fruit produces the perfect
consistency.

When you’re preparing the ingredients, keep in mind that the
smaller you chop the ingredients, the smoother your smoothie will
be. Dice ingredients according to your personal preference. There’s
no need for fancy equipment: a standard blender will work.

Here are a few recipes to try:

My Blueberry Heaven (from Slim Smoothies by Donna
Pliner Rodnitzky)

1/2 cup orange juice
1 to 2 tsp honey (optional)
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup mango, diced
1/2 cup banana, diced