Super Smoothies

This recipe requires getting creative. The good news is it's hard to mess up. If you're just starting in the kitchen, this is a good place to start. A smoothie makes a great breakfast, snack, accompaniment to a meal, or even a healthy dessert (oxymoron? not after you try this!).

Super Smoothies

2 cups of fruit
6 oz (single serving cup) yogurt
1/2 to 1 cup milk

Mix in a blender and serve.

Now for the fun part--getting creative. For your fruit, pick two of these:

1 Banana
Frozen berries
Frozen Tropical fruit mix (mango, papaya, pineapple, etc)
Cubed fresh melon (cantaloupe, Watermelon, Honeydew, etc)
canned pineapple or mandarin oranges, drained well
even seedless cucumber

Note: if your fruit is frozen before you blend, your smoothie will be thicker and colder without adding a bunch of ice. If you have less ripe or slightly sour fruit, you may need to add a couple tablespoons of sugar or brown sugar. The recipe above is a general ratio. Please don't measure.

Pick any flavor of yogurt you want. It doesn't have to be plain! Try lime, lemon, strawberry, or vanilla. Also, during the summer months try adding a few leaves of fresh basil or mint. This is also a good place to sneak in fiber or protein substitutes.

Last tip: try substituting 1/2 can light coconut milk for the milk. Tasty!

Overall, if you use skim milk and lowfat yogurt, you'll have a low-fat, very refreshing and satisfying drink high in antioxidants and vitamins.