Into liquid: a flick of the switch and you've got an ideal beat-the-heat blend of good nutrition and great taste

Muscle & Fitness/Hers, June-July, 2004 by Devin Alexander

Hats off to whoever invented the smoothie. What other type of beverage does quadruple-duty as a meal, a snack, a post-workout pick-me-up, even a dessert? And that's not to mention how wonderfully refreshing they taste in summer or how excellent their health benefits are: Smoothies are essentially essential nutrients in a glass.

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Now it's true that, from their humble beginnings as simple combinations of icy fruit and juice, smoothies have sometimes morphed into overly complex, ridiculous concoctions. Some places junk them up with ice cream while others dump in so many vitamins and minerals that one serving can send you way over the RDAs. There is, though, a happy medium: Smoothies blended with ingredients that lift their flavor above the ordinary and give them a moderate (not over-the-top) health boost.

The smoothie recipes you'll find here fall right in line with that prescription. Ranging from a quick breakfast beverage to an after-exercise energizer, they capitalize on summer's bounty of fruit and provide a heaping helping of vitamins and minerals. Best of all, these smoothies let you save your efforts for working out, not working in the kitchen--each recipe is as easy as one (assemble ingredients), two (puree in a blender), three (pour).

Post-Workout Peach Cobbler Smoothie

Eating protein after exercise helps the body rebuild muscle. The soy in this smoothie does the job, plus silken-style tofu is an excellent source of vitamin B and iron. The peaches add vitamin A, vitamin C and fiber; the wheat germ provides folic acid, thiamin, zinc, magnesium and vitamin E. Makes one 16-ounce serving.

  1 cup fresh peeled and chopped peaches, frozen
1/2 cup peeled and chopped mango
1/3 cup soft silken-style tofu
1/4 cup soy yogurt
1/4 cup soy milk
  2 tablespoons wheat germ
  8 ice cubes

Place all ingredients in a blender with ice-crushing ability. Make sure the lid is on tight. Using a puree or ice crush setting, blend the ingredients until they are relatively smooth. Then blend on a liquefy or high speed setting for a few seconds until completely smooth. Transfer the mixture to a glass and serve immediately.

ONE SERVING: 329 calories, 15 g protein, 57 g carbohydrate, 7 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 8 g fiber

Berry Breakfast Boost

Vitamin C, calcium, omega-3 fatty acids--this morning smoothie will send you off for the day with a good dose of each. Frozen fruit is used to make it frosty, resulting in a richer, fruitier drink than if you'd added ice. Makes one 12-ounce serving.

3/4 cup orange juice (preferably fresh-squeezed)
1/2 cup fresh raspberries, frozen
1/2 cup fresh strawberries, trimmed and frozen
1/2 cup fresh blackberries, frozen
1/2 cup low-fat vanilla or berry yogurt
  1 teaspoon flaxseed oil

Place all ingredients in a blender with ice-crushing ability. Make sure the lid is on tight. Using a puree or ice crush setting, blend the ingredients until they are relatively smooth. Then blend on a liquefy or high speed setting for a few seconds until completely smooth. Transfer the mixture to a glass and serve immediately.

ONE SERVING: 327 calories, 7 g protein, 62 g carbohydrate, 8 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 10 g fiber

Chocolatey Meal Replacement

Sure, this liquid meal tastes like dessert, but you can take comfort in knowing that it provides a serving of healthy carbohydrates, protein, fat, fiber and potassium. If possible, use a banana with a fair number of spots--the riper the banana, the sweeter this smoothie will taste. Makes one 16-ounce serving.

  1 medium ripe banana, peeled
  1 heaping scoop chocolate protein powder
3/4 cup vanilla or chocolate soy milk
 10 ice cubes

Place all ingredients in a blender with ice-crushing ability. Make sure the lid is on tight. Using a puree or ice crush setting, blend the ingredients until they are relatively smooth. Then blend on a liquefy or high speed setting for a few seconds until completely smooth. Transfer the mixture to a glass and serve immediately.

ONE SERVING: 274 calories, 26 g protein, 33 g carbohydrate, 6 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 5 g fiber

Cherry Pineapple Energy Booster

The fruit in this blend provides some of the nutrients essential for helping the body turn fuel into energy. Whether bee pollen, an optional ingredient, really increases energy as claimed is unknown, but it can't hurt (though you should avoid it if you're allergic to bee stings) and it may help. When selecting cherries, look for those that are firm and dark red. Makes one 12-ounce serving.

  1 cup fresh pitted cherries, frozen
1/2 cup chopped fresh pineapple
1/2 cup orange juice (preferably fresh-squeezed)
  1 teaspoon bee pollen (optional)

Place all ingredients in a blender with ice-crushing ability. Make sure the lid is on tight. Using a puree or ice crush setting, blend the ingredients until they are relatively smooth. Then blend on a liquefy or high speed setting for a few seconds until completely smooth. Transfer the mixture to a glass and serve immediately.

ONE SERVING (without bee pollen): 198 calories, 3 g protein, 46 g carbohydrate, 2 g fat (<1 g saturated fat), 5 g fiber