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Lifestyle-friendly Smoothies
Looking for a way to get all you nutrients in for each meal, but don't have all the time you'd like to prepare a balanced meal every day? Smoothies are the perfect answer when you're looking for a healthy snack or meal supplement. Here are some suggestions for smoothies that are both tasty and nutritious.
Fruit smoothies are an excellent source of antioxidants, as well as multiple vitamins and minerals, like potassium, calcium, and vitamins A and E. For breakfast, try a banana strawberry smoothie, or a smoothie with mixed berries to make your breakfast more complete.
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Strawberry Banana Smoothie
Makes 2 servings
Ingredients
2 ripe small bananas
1 cup frozen unsweetened whole strawberries
1 8-ounce carton vanilla low-fat yogurt
¾ cup milk
Directions
Peel bananas. Cut bananas into chunks. Place banana chunks, frozen strawberries, yogurt, and milk into blender a container.
Cover blender and blend on high speed about 1 minute or until mixture is smooth. Turn off blender. Pour drink into 2 glasses. If desired, serve with pieces of toast spread with peanut butter
Mixed Fruit Smoothie
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients
2 bananas, chilled
2/3 cup strawberries or mango slices
1 12-ounce can grape juice or mango, apricot, strawberry, or other fruit nectar, chilled
1 8-ounce carton fat-free yogurt
1 tablespoon honey (optional)
2 tablespoons ground pistachio nuts (optional)
Directions
In a blender combine bananas, strawberries or mango slices, grape juice or fruit nectar, yogurt, and, if desired, honey.
Cover and blend until smooth.
Pour into six tall, chilled glasses. If desired, sprinkle with ground pistachio nuts.
For additional sources of calcium, protein, and unsaturated fats, preparing smoothies with peanut butter or even chocolate and coffee are ideal ingredients to add to your smoothie.
Coffee Banana Smoothie
Makes 2 servings
Ingredients
2 small bananas, peeled, cut up, and frozen
1-1/2 cups fat-free milk
1 8-ounce container low-fat coffee yogurt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Dash ground nutmeg
Banana slices (optional)
Directions
In a blender container combine frozen bananas, milk, yogurt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Cover and blend until smooth.
To serve, pour into glasses.
If desired, garnish with fresh banana slices.
Peanut Butter Smoothie
Makes 1-2 Servings
Ingredients
1 cup vanilla or chocolate ice cream
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons peanut butter
Directions
In a blender container, blend together ice cream, milk, and peanut butter
If you'd rather not use milk or ice cream to make your smoothies, you can substitute these ingredients with tofu or soy milk. And, you can also use a sugar substitute if necessary.
Power Peanut Butter Smoothie Recipe
Makes 2 Servings
Ingredients
1/2 cup soy milk
1/2 cup silken tofu
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
2 bananas -- frozen
2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
Directions
Combine soy milk, tofu, and peanut butter in blender.
Add bananas, chocolate syrup, and any ice cubes if desired.
Blend until smooth.
Banana Peanut Butter Smoothie
Ingredients
8 oz skim milk
1/3 small banana
1 tbsp reduced fat peanut butter
2 sweet n' low or other sugar substitute
5 ice cubes
Directions
Blender combine milk, banana, peanut butter and sweet n' low®.
Add ice cubes and pulse.
Hazelnut Coffee Smoothie
Ingredients
2 cups fresh roasted hazelnut flavored coffee beans, cooled
1 cup milk
2 tsp. sugar
Ice cubes
Ground hazelnuts
1 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. whipped cream
Directions
Combine first 4 ingredients in blender.
Blend until smooth.
Top with whipped cream and chopped hazelnuts.
Smoothies are not only a great idea for breakfast or lunch, but you can have them for dessert, too (and not feel so guilty about it). Smoothies are also great to serve at a party or get together. Here are some smoothie recipes that are sure to impress your guest-or help you skip fattier desserts like cheesecake or ice cream.
Honeydew-Grape Smoothie
Makes 3 Cups
Ingredients
2 cups (8 oz.) peeled and cubed honeydew melon or cataloupe
2 cups green or red seedless grapes
2/3 cup white grape juice, chilled
4 ice cubes
Directions
Puree honeydew melon, grapes, and white grape juice in blender on high speed.
With machine running, add ice through feed tube one cube at a time, until mixture is thick and smooth.
Puree in batches. Serve immediately.
Strawberry Apple Smoothie
Makes 3 Cups
Ingredients
1 cup strawberry low-fat yogurt
1 Bag (6 oz.) frozen strawberries
1 Gala, Fuji, or Golden Delicious apple, peeled, cored and cut up
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 Cup ice cubes
Directions
Puree yogurt, strawberries, apple, and sugar in blender on high speed.
With machine running, add ice through feed tube one cube at a time, until mixture is thick and smooth.
Of course, smoothies are best prepared in a blender, but you can purchase signature machines for making smoothie that will give you the perfect cup of fresh, cool, and healthy ingredients every time. The Smoothie Plus by Back to Basics (available in a variety of colors), along with the Smoothie Professional and Smoothie Signature will make wonderful additions to your kitchen, especially if you make smoothies often.
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![\"Spacer\"](\"/images/clear.gif\") |
Smoothie Makers
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![Smoothie Blast [SJR1X]](http://www.gourmet.org/product_images/bb/SJR1X-a.jpg)
![Smoothie Elite - Black [SECBLACK]](http://www.gourmet.org/product_images/bb/SECBLACK-a.jpg)
![Smoothie Plus - White [SPL6WHITE]](http://www.gourmet.org/product_images/bb/SPL6WHITE-a.jpg)
![Smoothie Professional [SHP1000]](http://www.gourmet.org/product_images/bb/SHP1000-a.jpg)
