The Incredible Edible Smoothie
There are smoothie shops everywhere these days. Within a 5 mile radius of my house, there are four shops, not including the mall.
The smoothie has been around since 1960. Similar to a milkshake, they’re sweet, made with fruit, milk or yogurt. They can be made from vegetables as well.
Smoothies can be both invigorating and soothing at the same time. The only thing you need to make a smoothie is a blender, although there are specialty smoothie machines on the market. They are easy for you or your child to make, and you can take them with your wherever you go, which, for some of us, is a big help.
If you have a problem with adding vegetables and fruits to your diet, a smoothie may be your answer. It’s easy to include a lot of fruit or veggies in your snacks and meals. In addition to adding nutrition, they energize and refresh you.
Smoothies can be added to your diet even if you’re trying to lose weight. Use a smoothie as breakfast if you don’t have time to sit down and eat. Make sure to add a tablespoon or two of protein powder (I prefer soy protein) and fiber to the smoothie, making a more nutritious and healthy meal. The fiber will help to fill you up. You can even add flax seed to a smoothie to get your daily Omega 3 fatty acids. If you use frozen fruit, you won’t need to add ice cubes to make the smoothie cold.
Citrus Smoothie
Ingredients:
2 cups vanilla fat-free yogurt
2 medium bananas cut into chunks
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 cup orange juiceInstructions:
Place banana chunks and strawberries in blender. Blend on low until broken up. Add yogurt and orange juice. Continue blending on high until mixture is smooth. Serve immediately.
A smoothie can help you keep from feeling deprived or hungry. Whip up a smoothie and stop the craving for a milkshake in its tracks. You can also curb a sweet tooth with a smoothie.
Smoothies can contain all kinds of ingredients, so you need to be careful. Make sure a smoothie you choose isn’t full of fat and sugar. Use a variety of vegetables or fruits when you make a smoothie, and try to keep it low fat. I won’t say try to keep it low calorie, especially if you’re using a smoothie as a meal replacement.
You can find recipes for smoothies everywhere: online and in books. Experiment with what you find.
Smoothies and kids.
Use a smoothie to incorporate fruits and vegetables into your child’s diet. They’ll love it and will never know what you’re up to. My son loves them even with no added sweetner.
Cleansing and Detox
If you’re into cleansing and detox, there is no better way to do it than with a day or two of smoothies only. Make sure to add fiber and protein