Smoothies: Nature's Blended Family

Last year I got a personal blender (I guess you would call it?) for making smoothies.  I have since embraced the smoothie as a snack between meals. It's a great way to get fruits (and veggies!) into your diet without a lot of effort. Pinterest has actually been very helpful with the recipe search and I thought I would share a couple of my favorites here. Of course, you have to make it work for you so tweaking is ALWAYS recommended!

Banana+Berries+Peanut Butter:
Bread, for the most part, is not a part of my eating routine anymore but sometimes I want a PBJ! I've found this smoothie as an adequate substitute. I usually use one whole banana, about a cup of frozen berries (I use a mixed berry blend but any berry will work and they are loaded with antioxidants, help with memory, help with diabetes,... the list goes on and on!), plain oatmeal, a dash of cinnamon, honey for some sweetness and coconut water the help blend it smooth. I've used cottage cheese in it as well which really helps keep me pretty full until lunch time but I don't always have it on hand.

Mango+Oranges+Carrots:
It sounds like a weird concoction but is quite delicious! The convenience of frozen mango (or frozen fruit of any kind really) is beneficial in the ease of these smoothies. I use about a cup of mango, half an orange, about 5-6 baby carrots, oatmeal and coconut water. You can also add honey to add a little sweetness or sweetened coconut (divine!).

Cucumber+Strawberries+Watermelon:
This is beyond a refreshing treat! It's not very sweet but just so tasty. I recommend peeling the cucumber but you can leave the peel on it as well. I don't generally add any coconut water to this one because the watermelon works in place (I've made soupy smoothies but adding coconut water with the watermelon ...not pleasant!). Again, frozen strawberries make this a quick and easy snack! Its all about equal parts of each in this smoothie. I usually add oatmeal to help curb the appetite but I find this fantastic on its own.

There are so many more recipes all over the internet to try. Don't be afraid to step outside the box and invent something crazy! Power greens like fresh spinach and kale can be added to the sweeter fruit smoothies for a boost of nutrients without interfering with flavor. Need a chocolate fix? A banana-peanut butter smoothie with some chocolate syrup can do the trick!