During my hiatus I have grown a big love for smoothies. The ones that are made at home have a lot of nutrients, and calcium if they are milk based. They are super easy to make and I like that they help keep me full in the morning. I probably wouldn't drink one as a replacement for breakfast, since I'm a person that needs substance to keep me going until lunch, but it definitely is a great addition instead of sugary juice. That's another benefit - a whole lot of flavor minus the sugar. My daughter enjoys them too, which makes me feel good about feeding her something tasty and healthy.
So far my two favorites are the Peanut Butter and Banana Smoothie form FitnessMagazine.com and Dr. Oz's Anti-Cancer Banana Berry Breakfast Shake. Both are milk based and obviously I have a banana theme going on. I am posting the recipe for the the berry breakfast shake below. It tastes good, but I also like the idea that it could potentially prevent cancer due to the anthocyanins in the berries and the calcium in the milk.
Ingredients
Makes 2 servings
1 medium banana, sliced into chunks and frozen
1/4 cup fresh or frozen unsweetened blueberries
1/4 cup fresh or frozen unsweetened raspberries
1-1/2 cups low-fat (1%) milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
Pinch of ground cinnamon
Directions
In a blender, combine all ingredients except cinnamon. Blend 20 seconds or more until smooth. Pour into glasses and garnish with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon.
If you don't have almond extract, don't worry about it. I didn't either and it still works. Also, I have made it by freezing the banana ahead of time and not. If you don't remember (or don't want to wait), just throw a few ice cubes in the blender with the ingredients.
Happy smoothie-ing! Let me know your favorite healthy drink recipes.
