Make Your Own Fruit Smoothie Meal-Replacement Drinks
August 07, 2011, By Doug Donald 0 comments
In an effort to eat healthier, I started stopping by a local juice bar for fruit smoothies. Unfortunately, I learned quickly that they're expensive, and they're also loaded with sugar. So I decided to start making them at home to save money and get more health benefits.
When you find yourself pressed for time, or just want a healthy breakfast, take out the blender and make a fruit smoothie. They're easy to make, nutrient dense and they taste great. Picky eaters who never consider eating steamed spinach will down a smoothie in a minute (never knowing it's good for them) and ask for more. The best part is you can make a smoothie to appeal to any taste.
Start with skim or low-fat milk (if you want to get crazy-healthy try soy milk or almond milk), and add fruits and berries to taste. A popular and easy-to-find combination is strawberries, banana, blueberries and raspberries. Add a scoop of vanilla protein powder (or, better yet, Greek yogurt), a handful of ice cube and a dash of honey or agave syrup for more sweetness. Then crank up the blender. When your smoothie is smooth enough for your taste, it's ready to pour into a tall glass. You might want to sprinkle a bit of cinnamon on top, and a handful of almonds are a great side treat. The finished product is low in calories, sweet and delicious. A meal-in-a-cup loaded with antioxidants, vitamins, fiber, minerals and protein. Almost as important is what's not in the glass: refined sugar.
Suggested Ingredients:
- Low-fat milk/soy milk/almond milk
- Blueberries
- Strawberries
- Raspberries/blackberries
- Bananas
- Cherries
- Orange juice
- Pineapple
- Yogurt
- Honey
- Agave syrup
- Peanut butter
- Protein powder
- Cinnamon or nutmeg
- Fresh mint
Those are just a few of the potential ingredients for your meal-replacement smoothie. Experiment with your own recipes once you know the smoothie basics and find a few the entire family enjoys.
