Fruit Smoothie Recipes

The smoothie is a blended beverage loved by adults and children. The delectable drink is found everywhere from health food markets to coffee shops. Because smoothies are easy to make, they become popular beverage that you can make yourself at home. Smoothies can be both a tasty desert and an excellent source of needed vitamins and minerals and most of them are absolutely fat free. Literally hundreds of smoothie recipes are available on the internet or in the books, and there is no way you wouldn’t find the one for you.

Smoothies purchased at a yogurt stand are often high calorie treats made with frozen yogurt, fruit juice, canned/frozen fruit, and a sweetener. Although these smoothies taste great, they can be expensive, and often have as many calories as a full meal.

You do not need to purchase an expensive food processor to make a smoothie at home. If you have a high speed blender, it is easy to follow smoothie recipes and make a variety of drinks for the price of a single smoothie from a shop.

To make a smoothie, blend your favourite unsweetened frozen juice concentrate with a mixture of your favorite fruits, and add water or ice until you reach your preferred texture. For a simple, but tasty smoothie recipe, try a Sunrise Surprise. Mix a can of apple juice concentrate, one banana, and a quarter cup (or desired amount) of chopped strawberries. Add water and ice to taste. This drink is an excellent source of folic acid and vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, and C.

For a creamier flavour, try a smoothie recipe with low-fat milk and yogurt. Yogurt adds acidophilus – - a bacteria that aids digestion. For an Orange Surprise, blend a cup of plain yogurt with orange juice. Then, gradually mix in your favourite fresh fruit (strawberries, raspberries or melon) to taste. For a thinner consistency, add skim milk.

Green smoothie recipes are popular with parents and naturopaths. When making a green smoothie, include a mixture of two parts fruit and one part green, leafy vegetables such as baby spinach, romaine lettuce or kale. Dark greens supply vitamins E and K, as well as calcium and fiber. Green smoothies aid digestion, boost the immune system, and help even the most finicky eaters obtain their daily portion of vegetables. For a Tropical Smoothie recipe, blend two mangos, ice and water. Then, add ½ cup of chopped baby spinach or romaine lettuce to the mix. Add orange juice or apple juice to sweeten and top with fresh mint or basil.

No matter which of the smoothie recipes you use, you will find that smoothies are fun, economical, and nutritious. And that is why we say eat 5 A Day the colour way!

- Stephanie Taylor

High-Speed Blenders and Weight Loss

Designer smoothie bars are almost as common as coffee shops these days. It’s little wonder too. Where else can you get a healthy snack that contains so many nutrients all in one glass? The answer is: at home. With a high speed blender, it’s easy to re-create those fancy, nutrition filled fruit smoothies at home. Chances are, you’ll save a lot of money too.

In addition to paying much less, there are several compelling reasons for making your own smoothies with a high speed blender. Consider the following benefits:

* You can give your dieting efforts a healthy boost. Mixing fruits, vegetables, yogurt, soy milk, or other ingredients in a high-speed blender releases the vitamins, minerals, and fibers which they contain. This allows for much quicker processing by the body. The result is a fuller feeling in a shorter time, meaning you are less likely to overeat. It also means more of those nutrients are able to be absorbed by your body. Plus, you have control over the amount of fat and sugar that goes into your recipe.

* It’s easier to get your RDA. It can be tough to eat your RDA (recommended daily allowance) of fruits, vegetables, and other nutrients. Using a high speed mixer makes it simple to get many of your nutrients all in one tasty go. A smoothie is also much easier to consume on the run than a handful of blueberries. Plus, you can add boosters like wheat-grass, flaxseed, bran, wheat germ, protein powder, ginseng, and many other nutritional supplements.

* Good nutrition is linked to better mental health. If you are struggling with obesity, you may also be experiencing symptoms of depression. Depression has been linked to being overweight. Doctors encourage people who are seeking treatment for mood disorders to eat a healthy, balanced diet. This is because physicians know that good nutrition can help improve mood by restoring chemical balance to the brain. What better natural depression treatment than a home-made smoothie? There are few easier ways to increase ones intake of fruits and vegetables, plus healthy staples like yogurt, milk, soy milk, and fresh cheese, than to mix them in a delicious smoothie.

* You can experiment with your own ingredients. Whatever fruits and vegetables you like can be combined for a tailor-made snack or meal. You can choose from either fresh or frozen. Fresh fruits and vegetables tend to be slightly higher in vitamins. However, frozen are also healthy, and will add a hearty texture to your concoction.

Sometimes people get discouraged with their efforts to make smoothies at home. Often this is because they are using an ordinary food processor rather than a high speed blender. While food processors may do an adequate job of mixing, they are not made for pureeing and grinding as blenders are. The results from blenders are more appetizing. They also tend to release the vitamins and minerals more quickly.

So forget about those expensive juice bars. Creating your own delicious masterpieces at home may lead to better mental health and put you on the fast-track to weight loss.

- Thomas Fox