Summertime smoothies: go on a blender bender for better health - food - fruit smoothie drinks - Brief Article - Recipe

Better Nutrition, August, 2002

Getting your daily requirement of fruits and vegetables can be inconvenient, especially when you're on the go. You can't eat a grapefruit for breakfast while driving to work, and a watermelon won't exactly fit in your gym bag for a post-workout snack.

With a little help from a blender, however, you can whip up a satisfying summertime smoothie that's chock full of vitamins and minerals. Smoothies provide a tasty new vehicle for old favorites like carrot juice, wheat germ and plain yogurt. Plus, a light and refreshing smoothie won't weigh you down while you're working out in warm weather. Best of all, smoothies are 100-percent customizable and use fresh, whole ingredients. Add extras such as carob or malted milk powder to impart a gourmet flavor to your concoctions.

In the book Smoothies! The Original Smoothie Book, author Dan Titus offers the lowdown on smoothie ingredients: fruit. While fresh, seasonal fruit is best, frozen produce works for fruits that aren't available year-round. juice. Frozen concentrates or bottled juices are ideal, and may be found at your natural products store. banana. The "salt and pepper" of the smoothie world, bananas add to the smoothness of your drink. Too much banana will overpower the other ingredients, however, so be aware that as bananas ripen, their taste becomes stronger.

non-fat frozen yogurt. Similar to ice milk, except for the addition of yogurt culture. Too much yogurt culture can give your smoothie a sour taste.

crushed ice. This is the most difficult ingredient to make. Although crushed-ice machines are available in the marketplace, the easiest way to crush ice is to do it by hand. Simply place ice in a resealable plastic bag and crush it with a mallet until it can be measured and poured easily, saving wear and tear on your blender.

And what's not to like about blowing off a little steam as you take a few whacks at the ice?

Whether you're on your way to work or working your way elsewhere, here's to your health, the smoothie way.

baby boomer

High in enzymes, with a tangy pineapple taste

8 oz. pineapple juice
1 cup nonfat frozen vanilla yogurt
1 1/4 cup crushed ice
2-inch piece of banana
1/2 cup canned or fresh pineapple

Pour pineapple juice into blender. Add yogurt, ice, banana
and pineapple. Blend at high speed until mixture is smooth
and creamy. Pour into tall glass, and savor.

too cool

Zingy orange-strawberry delight

8 oz. orange juice
1 cup nonfat frozen vanilla yogurt
1 1/4 cup crushed ice
2-inch piece of banana
4 strawberries

Pour orange juice into blender. Add yogurt, ice, banana and
strawberries. Blend at high speed until mixture is smooth
and creamy. Pour into tall glass and enjoy.

blue bayou

Tart apple and blueberry combination

7 oz, apple juice
1 oz. boysenberry juice
1 cup nonfat frozen vanilla yogurt
1 1/4 cup crushed ice
1-inch piece of banana
1/8 slice Granny Smith apple
16 blueberries

Pour apple juice and boysenberry juice into blender. Add
yogurt, ice, banana, apple and blueberries. Blend at high
speed until mixture is smooth and creamy. Pour into tall
glass and enjoy.

peachy-keen

A peach lover's delight.

8 oz. peach juice
1 cup nonfat frozen vanilla yogurt
1 1/4 cup crushed ice
1-inch piece of banana
1/8 slice frozen peach

Pour peach juice into blender. Add yogurt, ice, banana and
peach. Blend at high speed until mixture is smooth and
creamy. Pour into tall glass, and enjoy.

rainbow symphony

A colorful palette of fruit and juices.

4 oz. raspberry juice
1 oz. boysenberry juice
1 oz. peach juice
2 oz. strawberry juice
1 cup nonfat frozen vanilla yogurt
3/4 cup crushed ice
1-inch piece of banana
1 strawberry
2 raspberries
1 boysenberry
1/8 slice peach
2 cherries
1 Tbs. shredded coconut

Pour raspberry, boysenberry, peach and strawberry juices
into blender. Add yogurt, ice, banana, strawberry, raspberries,
boysenberry, peach, cherries and shredded coconut.
Blend at high speed until mixture is smooth and creamy.
Pour into tall glass, and savor.

downbeat

Orange and cranberry juice create a tasty duo.

6 oz. orange juice
2 oz. cranberry juice
1 cup nonfat frozen vanilla yogurt
1 1/4 cup crushed ice
3 frozen raspberries
6 frozen blueberries

Pour orange and cranberry juices into blender. Add
yogurt, ice, raspberries and blueberries. Blend at high
speed until mixture is smooth and creamy. Pour into
a tall glass and drink up.