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Dig out the blender! (Don’t worry, nothing high-tech.) Throw in a few simple, nutritious ingredients, give it a whirl and you’ve got a super-quick breakfast, snack, or mini-meal. Who can resist these icy cold, frothy concoctions, fondly known as “smoothies”? Kids as well as adults love them! Follow these simple guidelines and blend up your own batch today. For the Calorie Conscious To help keep calories under control, avoid smoothies made with high-fat and high-calorie ingredients like ice cream, whole milk, and cream. Instead use low fat items such as skim milk, low fat yogurt, fat-free frozen vanilla yogurt, frozen ice milk, fruit juice, silken tofu, soymilk, soy yogurt, and rice milk. When a recipe calls for peanut butter, use it in moderation. (Although high in protein and the healthy monounsaturated fat, the calories can add up quickly, due to the total fat content.) And be careful with the portion size—one cup (8 ounces) is the standard, not the entire contents of the blender. Fruitylicious! The very best smoothie is creamy and thick, NOT watered-down or icy. A great trick for adding thickness to your smoothie—without adding additional calories—is to freeze the fruit before making the smoothie (or buy frozen fruit). Start in the fresh produce section of the grocery. Select berries, bananas, pineapple, kiwi, watermelon, cantaloupe, peaches, pears, plums, mango, anything. Grab the familiar as well as the unusual. When fresh stuff is unavailable or too pricey, check out the fruit choices in the freezer section. Canned fruit can also be used as a nutritious, tasty alternative, without the extra expense. Once you arrive home:
If your smoothie doesn’t contain fruit, you may want to freeze the liquid ingredients to add thickness and creaminess, preventing a watery consistency. All liquids work well, including juice, milk, and coffee. Freeze the liquid in ice cube trays. Once frozen, you can store the cubes in freezer bags until ready to use. Yogurt Benefits Many smoothie recipes use yogurt as a main ingredient. Yogurt adds body and creaminess, as well as protein and calcium. Since yogurt is a cultured product it also contains live, active, friendly bacterial cultures such as L. Bulgaricus, S. Thermophilus, and L. Acidophilus. These help to keep the stomach and intestinal tract healthy and the immune system strong. Soy Alternatives Perhaps you prefer the non-dairy route when creating your smoothie. Soy products add creaminess and protein while also helping to lower blood cholesterol levels, decrease the risk of heart disease and some cancers, improve bone health, and help with menopausal effects. Try using soymilk, soy yogurt, and soft silken tofu. Nutrient Boosters Because of healthy ingredients (milk, fruit, juice, etc.) most smoothies are naturally nutrient-dense. However, if you feel you need to boost the nutritional value even further, you can add protein, soy, or non-fat dry milk powders to your smoothie. Smoothies are also perfect ways to sneak in some ground flaxseed or wheat germ too. Sweetening Power If you find the smoothie to be a tad on the tart side, then add a little sweetness of your choosing: sugar, maple syrup, fruit spreads, or artificial sweeteners all work well. Spicing It Up Spices and flavorings give your smoothie zest without adding a lot of extra calories. Try adding vanilla, almond, coconut, or lemon extracts. Sprinkle in some nutmeg, cinnamon, malt powder, coffee (instant or brewed), coconut, or cocoa powder. Leftovers for Later You don’t have to toss leftovers down the drain. Simply pour the smoothie mixture into Popsicle molds and freeze. Watch your children come running for this special, after-school treat. You’ll find them refreshing too! Ready, Set, Go! To get you started, try one of the following recipes: Blueberry Orange Smoothie: A frosty treat that's low in fat. Tropical Smoothie: You don't have to go on vacation for a taste of the tropics! Strawberry Soy Smoothie: This dairy-free smoothie packs protein and calcium into one tasty package. Then move onto other SparkPeople smoothie recipes. Check your local library for recipe books dedicated to the creation of smoothies. Don’t be afraid to experiment and have fun by adding different fruit combinations and coming up with your own fabulous concoctions! Have you found that blender yet? |
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Nutrition Articles › Meals and FoodSmoothie SmartsSimple, Healthy, and Delicious Treats-- By Becky Hand, Licensed & Registered DietitianSparkPeople advertisers help keep the site free! Learn more
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Becky Hand
Becky is a registered and licensed dietitian with almost 20 years of experience. Through her company, An Ounce of Prevention, she makes nutrition principles practical, easy to apply and fun. See all of Becky's articles. |
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Member Comments
I started off putting a little bit of yogurt and milk. But now I've eliminted the milk and put one scoop of greek yogurt. At times I don't put anything at all. I want to start makking the veggies ones. - 12/24/2012 7:21:47 AM
I was excited to find fresh cranberries back in the stores yesterday -- this morning's smoothie include 1/2 C of them.
I blend until very creamy, adding water if needed, or a slash of almond or coconut milk.
They tend to be a little high in calories, but breakfast is when I can afford them, and it lasts me until lunch. - 10/4/2012 5:34:30 PM
1 C frozen unsweetened strawberries
1 C Almond Breeze unsweetened almond milk
1 Tbs ground flax seed
2 scoops Carb Solutions vanilla protein shake mix
3-4 ice cubes
Blend all ingredients on high and enjoy!
Any fresh or frozen fruit works well, since the shake mix and almond milk are neutral flavors and go with anything.
If I'm out of shake mix, I'll use 1/2 cup of nonfat greek yogurt. Vanilla is great, or plain with a little non-caloric sweetener. - 9/19/2012 12:21:31 PM
I'm all for low-fat but many people don't realize that sugar turns into fat especially when you take in too much. For those of us who are diabetic, it's not an option. It's great that this article states to steer away from smoothies made with ice cream, whole milk and cream, but why would you then state to add sugar or maple syrup (unless it's sugar free)?
Fresh or frozen fruit would be the best options and if you need more sweetness, add a little sweetener. Sweeteners such as Stevia are much more sweeter than sugar and don't affect your blood sugar or turn into fat. - 9/2/2011 7:29:34 PM
1/2 cup canned apricots with the juice
1/2 banana
6 frozen strawberries
Ate with spoon.
- 4/18/2011 10:19:57 PM
m for Angela's green monster recipes. Yum! Nutrition power houses. - 4/18/2011 9:35:44 AM
- I use in a bullet
1/2 cup Liberty no fat yogurt
1/2 cup frozen strawberries
A splash of orange juice
1 tsp of vanilla extract
It's delicious and you can add protein powder, etc., if you choose, or additional fruit. The yogurt makes it nice and thick and the frozen berries too.
- 12/5/2010 12:24:43 AM