When you think of smoothies, you probably usually think of fruit smoothies. But there are many more smoothie varieties than that. Vegetable smoothie recipes offer just as many different combinations of ingredients and flavors as their fruit counterparts. In fact, vegetable smoothies may even be considered a healthier beverage due to the lower amount of sugar and higher nutritional content. While the color and taste of vegetable smoothies may take a little getting used to if you’re picky, they’re generally considered delicious just the same.

Benefits of Vegetable Smoothies

Why would you want to drink a smoothie made with vegetables rather than fruit? Well, consider the fact that while fruits do contain some vitamins, they are primarily made up of sugar and water. Consuming a large amount of sugar in a short period of time is not necessarily what you want every time you want a tasty drink, so vegetable smoothies are a great alternative. Additionally, vegetables typically contain a high amount of essential vitamins and minerals, many of which simply cannot be found in fruits. Tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, spinach, broccoli and other vegetables have been shown to decrease people’s risk of developing cardiovascular disease and Type 2 Diabetes. Further, consuming a variety of vegetables on a regular basis will help you manage your blood pressure, prevent infection, reduce bone loss and improve the general health of your skin and eyes.

You may already cook vegetables as part of your daily diet, but consuming them from a smoothie may actually be even healthier for you. First of all, when you subject your vegetables to heat, you denature their proteins. The more you cook them, the more nutritional value they’re losing. Eating vegetables raw is usually the healthiest way to eat them because all of their nutrients are still intact and undamaged by the heat of your skillet or oven. Vegetables are also high in fiber, which makes them more difficult to digest. When foods are not easily digested, our bodies have a hard time extracting the nutrients from them. This is why a smoothie may be even healthier for you – when you mash up your vegetables in a blender, you are actually breaking down the fibers that are otherwise difficult for your body to digest. So, when you drink that vegetable smoothie, your digestive system has a much easier time of processing the food and extracting the beneficial nutrients.

Good vegetable smoothie recipes contain ingredients that are low in fat and sugar, and therefore low in calories, while being high in fiber, nutrition and complex carbohydrates. This means that the vegetables take longer to digest than foods with simple carbohydrates like sugar, and that means you’ll feel full for longer. The longer you feel full, the less you’re likely to eat throughout the day, so vegetable smoothies can help you control your eating habits in that way. If weight loss is a primary objective in your current diet, definitely start drinking vegetable smoothies as part of your routine.

How to Make Vegetable Smoothies

Putting vegetables into your smoothies isn’t that hard. But if you want to make them taste good, you should follow these recipes to get started.

Sweet Vegetable Smoothie

This vegetable smoothie tastes good and helps your immune system. Perfect for when the weather gets colder.

Ingredients:

-        ½ cup cucumber slices

-        ¼ cup apple sauce

-        1 cup apple juice

-        ½ cup carrot slices

-        1 cup apple slices

-        2 cups crushed ice

Directions:

This recipe takes carrots and cucumbers and combines them with the sweetness of apples. Blend them all together and add some nutmeg on top, if you prefer.

Green Peach Smoothie

You may not think this is a vegetable smoothie based on its name, but it actually has baby spinach in it. Spinach is extremely healthy and this is a great way to work it into your diet.

Ingredients:

-        2 cups baby spinach

-        1 peach

-        1 cup water

-        ½ cup soy milk

Directions:

As you can tell, this is a simple recipe. Keep the skin on the peach, because it’s good for you. Mix everything together, but blend in the spinach last. The result will be a creamy, green smoothie that’s super healthy for you.

Spicy Vegetable Smoothie

This is a very original smoothie recipe, with veggies and some spicy ingredients to add a little excitement. If you like spicy foods, this one’s for you.

Ingredients:

-        2 red bell peppers

-        8 celery stalks

-        1 zucchini

-        8 tomatoes

-        3 white onion slices

-        1 tsp flax seeds

-        1 tbsp chili powder

-        ¼ avocado

-        Cayenne pepper

Directions:

First, blend the tomatoes until they’re a puree. Add the zucchini and peppers and continue blending until they have been crushed up. Now, add the rest of the ingredients and mix them on high for about half a minute. Add in as many dashes of cayenne pepper as you’d like. The more cayenne, the spicier your smoothie will be. It’s like a veggie Bloody Mary!

If you regularly engage in various types of exercise, you’re probably aware of the benefits of adding protein to your diet. In fact, protein shakes and protein smoothie recipes are especially popular among weight lifters and individuals trying to increase their muscle mass or muscle density. You will often see people at the fitness center drinking protein shakes before and after their workouts to give their muscles, and their energy levels, an extra boost.

The Benefits of Protein

Protein is the nutrient credited with being responsible for building muscle fiber. There is no other nutrient, as far as modern science is aware, that can build and repair muscles the way that protein does. This is the main reason why it’s so important to add additional protein to your diet if you want to build muscle or even if you just work out to stay fit. When you lift weights and do workouts that push your muscles beyond their regular limits, which is how muscle building is done, you actually tear some of the fiber in your muscles in the process. When the fibers repair themselves and grow back, they grow back stronger and denser than before. When that happens, you’ve built yourself some additional muscle. But without protein, that muscle repair can’t take place and your muscle fibers stay torn and broken until your body gets enough fiber to replace them. This is the primary reason why protein is essential to workout recovery. If you’re getting enough protein, you will spend less time in the recovery phase after a workout because your muscles are being repaired quickly and efficiently.

While protein can be had from many different types of food, like soy, meat and nuts, many people don’t have the time or the willingness to cook often or to continuously stick to a high-protein diet. That’s where good protein smoothie recipes become so useful. Aside from being delicious, smoothies are quick and easy to make and even easier to drink. You could bring them to the gym, in the car or even to your workplace. And best of all, they’re really healthy for you.

There are many different combinations of ingredients you could use for your protein smoothie recipe. Many people just put protein powder into a regular smoothie and are satisfied with that approach. But if you really want to do it right, you’ll need to experiment with different ingredients until you find the ones you like best. In a truly healthy protein smoothie, you don’t want to have a lot of fruits. Instead, use high-protein ingredients such as pecans, flax seed, skim ricotta cheese and low-fat yogurt. Even though you want to keep the ratio of protein to carbohydrates fairly high, you can still add in a little bit of banana, berries, kiwi or mango to add a sweet, fruity flavor to the mix. And of course, if you’re really trying to maximize your protein intake, go ahead and throw in a couple teaspoons of whey protein powder. Once you’ve figured out which ingredients you prefer in your protein smoothie recipes, you’ll be on your way to building muscle and leading an even healthier lifestyle!

How to Make Protein Smoothies

Now that you know all the reasons protein is good for you, let’s start making some delicious protein smoothies! Most protein smoothie recipes call for some protein powder, so make sure you have some around before getting started with your protein smoothie routine.

Ultimate Protein Smoothie

If you’ve got the ingredients, this is the best protein smoothie you can make with or without protein powder. The ingredients themselves have a good amount of protein already.

Ingredients:

-        ¼ cup sliced or chopped pecans

-        ¾ cup 1% or skim chocolate milk

-        2 tbsp vanilla yogurt (non-fat or low-fat)

-        ¾ cup skim ricotta cheese

-        2 tsp ground flax seed

-        2 tsp chocolate flavored protein powder

-        ½ cup crushed ice

-        ½ banana

Directions:

There are a lot of unusual ingredients here, but you can trust that they’ll yield a delicious outcome. Just blend them all together, gradually or all at once, depending on the size of your blender, and when you’ve got a smooth mix, give it a taste. It may not be everyone’s favorite, but the people who like it are really crazy about it.

Lemon Drop Protein Smoothie

This is another unusual, but tasty, combination. Imagine the refreshing taste of lemons in your smoothie. If that sounds good to you, give this recipe a try.

Ingredients:

-        2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

-        ½ cup low-fat ricotta cheese

-        1 tbsp vanilla protein powder

-        1 scoop vanilla ice cream (low fat)

-        1 tbsp almonds (sliced)

-        ½ cup ice cubes

Directions:

What you’re getting here are the benefits of low-fat ricotta and fat-cutting lemon juice, combined with the protein of almonds, all blended into a nice, creamy vanilla ice cream base. With protein powder mixed in, of course. Just blend and enjoy.

Berry Protein Smoothie

Not all protein smoothie recipes have to use low-fat yogurt or ricotta cheese. This one even incorporates delicious berries for your enjoyment.

Ingredients:

-        2 cups rice milk (vanilla flavor)

-        ½ packet of your favorite sweetener

-        2 cups of your favorite blend of frozen berries

-        2 scoops whey protein powder

Directions:

In this recipe, you could use any combination of frozen or fresh berries that you want. Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries – it’s up to you. Whatever you like best if what’s going to make this one of the most delicious protein smoothie recipes you’ve ever had.

If you’ve ever been on a diet, you’ve probably heard and read everything there is to know about the benefits of a diet that’s low in fat. After all, fat is where most of our food’s calories come from, and we all know that eating more calories than we use throughout the day leads to weight gain. But maintaining a healthy, low fat diet is not that easy. For many of us, the temptation to eat something sweet and tasty is too great, even when we know we shouldn’t. Fortunately, there are some ways to give in to these temptations without sacrificing your figure. Low calorie smoothie recipes are a great way to do just that.

Low calorie smoothies are one of the best additions you could make to your diet, especially if you’re trying to control your weight. They provide you with lasting energy and essential nutrients such as fatty acids, various minerals and vitamins, fiber and some carbohydrates as well. You should also be using fresh ingredients – fresh fruit and vegetables – in your smoothies rather than powders and juices from concentrate. It has long been well known that fresh ingredients are high in health benefits. Some have even been show in studies to reduce illnesses and prevent disease. This is evidence for the power of low calorie smoothies to boost your immune system with their assortment of vitamins, enzymes and other nutrients.

What’s in Low Fat Smoothies?

An absence of fat comes hand in hand with the absence of calories. You could often think of them interchangeably. Your low fat smoothie recipes will be very similar, if not identical, to the low calorie ones. A common misconception about low fat foods is that you won’t feel as full when you eat them, as compared to foods that are high in fat. This is generally not true. Take, for example, a typical low fat smoothie. In a well made smoothie, you will use several types of vegetables, some fruit juice, maybe a little non fat milk and a banana. There’s very little fat in that combination, if any at all. But imagine eating all those ingredients on their own, all in one meal. It would certainly be a filling meal, especially given that fruits and vegetables are mostly made up of water, and water is quite filling. The other benefit of these ingredients is that they’ll keep you feeling full longer than fatty foods do. Because they travel through your digestive system more slowly, you won’t get hungry as quickly.

As you can see, there are many benefits to working low fat smoothie recipes into your diet, both nutritionally and practically. They’re good for your health, help you keep your weight down, help reduce and prevent illnesses and even keep you satisfied for longer. So the next time you’re tempted to eat something high in fat calories, try making a delicious low calorie smoothie instead. You’ll be glad you did!

How to Make Low Calorie Smoothies

Low calorie smoothies are just as easy to make as regular smoothies. Try some of the examples below!

Strawberry Banana Non Fat Smoothie

This is a low-calorie take on the classic Strawberry Banana Smoothie. It’s just as delicious and even more fun when you know it’s good for you!

Ingredients:

-        1 banana

-        8 fresh strawberries

-        1 cup yogurt (non-fat)

-        1 packet sugar substitute of your choice

-        2 cups crushed ice

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients together and blend them until you’ve got a delicious, creamy smoothie. You know how it works – just press the button, wait 30 seconds and enjoy your healthy drink.

Low Fat Wheatgrass Smoothie

When you think of wheatgrass, don’t you just “healthy”? This is an excellent smoothie recipe that is both low in calories and high in healthy goodness. If you’re not familiar with wheatgrass, we recommend getting the kind made by a company called, Amazing Grass.

Ingredients:

-        1 orange

-        1 apple

-        4 fresh strawberries

-        ½ cup water

-        ½ cup wheatgrass

-        1 cup crushed ice cubes

Directions:

Just blend it all together and give it a try. If you’re new to wheatgrass, you may be initially surprised by the taste. But it’s a pleasant taste and it’s very good for you. Wheatgrass helps with brain function as well as cleansing of the digestive tract.

Low Fat Frozen Blueberry Smoothie

Blueberries are always a favorite ingredient in smoothies and they’re healthy too. Aside from being high in antioxidants, they’re low in fat. You’re sure to love this easy recipe.

Ingredients:

-        ½ cup vanilla yogurt (non-fat or low-fat, your choice)

-        ½ cup frozen or fresh blueberries

-        ½ cup skim or non-fat milk

-        2 tbsp honey

-        ½ cup ice cubes

Directions:

Just like most other smoothies, just blend all the ingredients together, adding the ice at the end. Get the mixture to a creamy smoothness and you’re done!

Everyone loves a good smoothie, but not everyone really thinks about the fact that not all smoothies are created equal. The nutritional value of your favorite smoothies can vary widely depending on the ingredients, and the quality of ingredients, that you put into them. So while pretty much every kind of fruit or yogurt smoothie will taste good, finding a healthy smoothie recipe that also tastes good is a beautiful thing that should not be taken for granted.

Whether you’re on a diet or just trying to stay healthy, it’s always good to make sure that your smoothie recipes are healthy ones. This is especially true if you are the kind of person who enjoys smoothies so much that you find yourself drinking them on a daily, or almost daily, basis. Sure, there’s nothing really wrong with that, but if the smoothies you’re drinking are not made with a healthy recipe and you’re not supplementing your diet with sufficient exercise, you may find yourself putting on an extra pound or two after several weeks of smoothie drinking.

What is a Healthy Smoothie?

So what makes a smoothie healthy? The biggest part of what determines whether or not you’re making a healthy smoothie is the amount of fat and sugar that goes into it. Using ingredients that contain milk fat, such as yogurt, will raise the amount of fat content in your beverage. On the other hand, yogurt is healthy in other ways, so it may be a tradeoff for you between fat and other benefits. Another thing to consider is that fruits generally contain a high amount of sugar. While fruit smoothies are generally healthy, putting too much fruit in your drink may actually deter from the healthiness of what you’re drinking due to the high sugar content.

A good, healthy smoothie recipe will typically contain low-fat yogurt, if any yogurt at all. Make sure the yogurt is plain, not flavored, in order to keep the sugar content low. If you want to avoid yogurt altogether, whether for dietary reasons, texture or just personal preference, you could instead use silken tofu, which will give your smoothie a nice consistency while providing you with some soy protein.  You’re also likely to use a banana, as they don’t contain quite as much sugar as most other fruits. Bananas are also a good source of potassium, which promotes muscle health, among other benefits. If you normally add sugar to your smoothies, try substituting it for a little bit of Splenda – it’s a natural sweetener that doesn’t come with the calories of regular sugar. Instead of putting all sorts of fruits into your healthy smoothie, try using berries instead. They will provide a delicious taste without all the sugar and calories of fruits like apples or peaches. And you’ll also benefit from the nutritional power of berries. Blackberries, raspberries, blueberries and strawberries are packed with Vitamin C!

A tasty and healthy smoothie is easy to achieve as long as you find a healthy smoothie recipe that you like. Go ahead, experiment with different ingredients and find the combination that’s right for you!

How to Make Healthy Smoothies

We all want to stay healthy and smoothies are a good tool to keep us on track. It’s easy to get carried away with your smoothie recipes, though, so try these healthy smoothie recipes to make sure you’re staying fit.

Orange Cranberry Booster Smoothie

This is a delicious smoothie recipe with a protein kick to help you stay in shape. Protein is good for muscle development, so this would be a good one to drink after a workout.

Ingredients:

-        1 banana

-        1 orange

-        1 cup cranberry juice

-        1 cup ice

-        ¼ cup raspberry sherbet

-        ½ cup strawberries

-        ¼ cup protein powder (whey, unless you prefer a different kind)

Directions:

Peel your orange and pull it apart into individual segments. Clean out the middle sections of your strawberries. Combine all of the ingredients into your blender and mix on medium speed until the smoothie arrives at the consistency you prefer. If you want it to be thicker, just add a little more sherbet. For a thinner mixture, add some cranberry juice. This is the type of smoothie you’ll want to drink through a straw, and you’ll probably have enough to share with a friend.

Ultimate Healthy Fruit Smoothie

As you’ve probably noticed, there are lots of ways to make a healthy smoothie. You could use non-fat milk, low-fat yogurt and a variety of other healthy ingredients. In this particular recipe, we stick with the natural nutrients found in fresh fruits and berries.

Ingredients:

-        2/3 cup skim milk

-        1/3 cup pure pomegranate juice

-        1/3 cup fresh mango juice

-        4 fresh strawberries

-        1/3 cup fresh raspberries

-        1/3 cup fresh blueberries

-        2 tbsp honey

Directions:

If you’ve got all these fresh ingredients, you’re all set. Just blend them all together. When they’ve turned into that familiar, smooth consistency, you’re ready to enjoy a delicious and healthy smoothie.

Healthy Peach Smoothie

This is a favorite snack to make for the kids as well as for yourself. Not only is this a great smoothie, it’s a diabetic-friendly recipe too!

Ingredients:

-        1 cup of skim milk

-        1 container of fat-free  peach yogurt (the kind with zero-calorie sweetener)

-        2 cups of fresh peaches (sliced)

-        1 cup of crushed ice cubes

Directions:

Combine and blend all the ingredients except for the ice. After a few seconds of blending, add the ice gradually. Your result will be a very smooth, creamy and delicious peach smoothie. For variations, try using apricots or nectarines instead of, or in addition to, the peaches. You could also try using a differently flavored yogurt, such as blueberry or strawberry, instead of the peach yogurt. The possibilities are endless!

Let’s be honest – how many fruits do you eat in a day? If you’re like most people, you probably don’t eat more than one or two fruits a day. And that means that when you go grocery shopping, you only buy a few fruits to last you the next several days. But if you suddenly decide to make yourself a nice fruit smoothie, you’ll look up some easy fruit smoothie recipes and realize that most of them call for several fruits at a time. You don’t want to run out to the store every time you want a delicious smoothie, right? You’re in luck – frozen fruit smoothie recipes are here to save the day!

Many people think that frozen fruit are inferior to fresh fruit, as an ingredient in drinks and foods. Although you won’t want to bite into a still-frozen apple, the truth is that the freezing process actually preserves all the nutrients of a fruit or berry. And that means that using frozen fruit in your smoothies will be just as healthy and nutritious as using fresh fruit.

Benefits of Frozen Fruit Smoothies

There are many benefits to using frozen fruit as an ingredient in your easy fruit smoothie recipes. As mention earlier, it’s difficult to keep a lot of fresh fruit all the time because you’re not always sure of how much fruit you’ll want to eat in any given week and you don’t want to have rotting, uneaten fruit around the house. The solution is to stock up on several kinds of frozen fruit and frozen berries. Whenever you get a craving for a smoothie, just find some simple smoothie recipes that call for fruit, which is pretty much all of them, and use the frozen fruit that you already have. The frozen fruit will break down in the blender, and the ice will melt due to the friction and the other ingredients being mixed together. The result is a delicious frozen fruit smoothie!

As you can see, with frozen fruit, any smoothie recipes can be simple smoothie recipes. You already have all the fruit you need, you don’t have to wash it because frozen fruit comes prewashed, you don’t have to worry about not having enough or about the fruit going bad and you can have fruit smoothies anytime you want. What’s more, you don’t even have to concern yourself with the seasonality or the availability of different kinds of fruit in your area. Regardless of where you live and which fruits are in season, you can use frozen fruit smoothie recipes all year round. Don’t forget to try different combinations of fruits, berries and other ingredients. Easy fruit smoothie recipes can be a lot of fun if you’re willing to play around with the flavors and proportions that go into them. The best part is you can never go wrong. As long as you like fruit, you’re sure to enjoy whatever concoctions you come up with.

How to Make Easy Frozen Fruit Smoothies

Frozen fruit smoothies are easy to make because you don’t have to have fresh fruit on hand in order to get a delicious smoothie. Check out some of our favorite recipes to see how we do it.

Beta Carotene Blaster Smoothie

This great smoothie recipe not only shows you how to use the convenience of frozen fruit, it also gives you a healthy serving of the beta carotene nutrients found in carrots. So you can stay healthy with this easy smoothie recipe.

Ingredients:

-        2 frozen apricots

-        ½ frozen mango

-        ½ frozen papaya

-        ½ cup carrot juice

-        1 tbsp honey

Directions:

We told you this was an easy one, right? Just throw everything into your blender and blend away. Depending on the sizes of your frozen fruit chunks, you may have to adjust your blending speed. If you’re using large pieces of fruit, start with a slower speed and work your way up to the higher speeds as the fruit pieces break down. You should end up with a delicious fruit smoothie to enjoy.

Pineapple Mango Smoothie

You could probably tell where this is going just from the name of this tasty smoothie. Yup, it’s the classic Pineapple Mango Smoothie and it’s always a treat.

Ingredients:

-        1 cup frozen pineapple chunks

-        1 cup frozen mango chunks

-        ½ cup pineapple juice

-        1 banana

-        1 cup vanilla yogurt

-        2 tbsp cream of coconut

-        ½ cup skim milk

Directions:

Chop the banana into several pieces. Combine the banana slices with the other ingredients in a blender and blend until you have a creamy, smooth consistency. Now, sit back and enjoy this easy smoothie made from frozen fruit pieces.

Frozen Strawberry Banana Smoothie

Strawberries and bananas are probably the most commonly used ingredients in smoothies. And that’s no coincidence – they make a delicious combination of flavors that everyone likes. That’s why it’s always a good idea to keep a supply of frozen strawberries and frozen bananas in your freezer.

Ingredients:

-        1 cup milk

-        1 cup strawberry yogurt

-        1 frozen banana

-        1 cup apple juice

-        1 ½ cups frozen strawberries

Directions:

Combine the apple juice, milk and yogurt in your blender. Add in the strawberries and banana. Blend for half a minute or until you’ve got a good, smooth mix. Stir it up with a spoon or stirring stick if you need to get some pieces that refuse to blend. Once you have everything blended together, you have your finished smoothie.

Do you eat breakfast every day? You’ve probably heard that it’s healthy to eat breakfast every morning, but we all know that in reality, it’s hard to find the time and energy to cook and eat something in the morning. Between getting ready for work, getting the kids prepared for school, walking the dog and seemingly endless other morning tasks, a healthy and nutritious breakfast may be the last thing on your mind. Those of us equipped with an assortment of breakfast smoothie recipes, however, know that there’s a simple solution to that problem.

The Benefits of Breakfast Smoothies

The first meal of the day gives you the energy and nutrition to get your day started and last you through your entire day, or at least until your next meal. That’s why it’s so important to take in some nutrients early in your day. A breakfast smoothie is the perfect way to get an early start with only a few minutes of preparation time. It’s easy to make one for yourself or make a batch for the whole family. You may even find yourself saving time in the morning by not having to cook or by drinking your breakfast smoothie while doing other things, such as walking the dog or reading your morning news.

Types of Breakfast Smoothies

There are many different kinds of breakfast smoothie recipes. Some are focused around fruits, while others incorporate ingredients less commonly found in most smoothies, like oatmeal or bran. It all depends on what you like to eat, the variety you like to have in your daily routine and the combination of nutrition you’re striving for. If you like fruits and berries go ahead and mix in some orange juice, bananas and strawberries. You can even add in some mango to add a little extra sweetness. If you’re trying to cut down on the sugar content while maintaining a high nutritional value, use skim milk and bran cereal, flavored with a little cinnamon and vanilla extract. Add an apple for taste and consistency, and you’ve got a filling and nutritious breakfast in a cup!

Some of the most popular types of breakfast smoothie recipes are the ones that list oatmeal as an ingredient. So many people are used to eating oatmeal for breakfast, it’s only natural they would want it in their breakfast smoothies. For a delicious oatmeal smoothie, mix in a banana, apple juice and some maple syrup in the blender with your oatmeal – you will be pleasantly surprised at how tasty this simple combination turns out.

Whether or not you are used to drinking smoothies for breakfast, or whether you eat breakfast at all, now is a good time to start. Find your favorite breakfast smoothie recipes and rotate them throughout the week. The variety will keep you from getting tired of your morning routine, and you’ll be pleased with how delicious and nutritious your breakfast is every single day!

How to Make Breakfast Smoothies

Breakfast smoothies come in many varieties, so you’ll have to try a few different kinds before settling on a breakfast routine. Here are some delicious examples:

Strawberry Oatmeal Vegan Smoothie

This is the classic breakfast smoothie – a mixture of strawberries and oatmeal to create a delicious and filling breakfast treat. It also happens to be a vegan recipe if you choose to use soy milk instead of regular milk. Here’s how it’s done:

Ingredients:

-        1 banana

-        ½ cup of rolled oats

-        1 cup of soy milk (or regular milk, if you prefer)

-        12 frozen or fresh strawberries

-        ½ tsp pure vanilla extract

-        1 ½ tsp sugar

Directions:

Cut the banana into several chunks. Combine the milk, strawberries, banana and rolled oats in the blender. Blend them until they’re creamy and add the vanilla and sugar. Blend some more to mix in the sugar and vanilla. Now you have a classic and delicious breakfast smoothie. Enjoy it any day of the week!

Antioxidant Booster Breakfast Smoothie

This is a very special smoothie that is not only very tasty but is very good for you as well. It incorporates pomegranate juice to provide you with antioxidants that help fight free radicals in your body. This is an excellent addition to your breakfast smoothie rotation.

Ingredients:

-        1 cup of pomegranate juice (make sure it’s pure, 100% pomegranate juice)

-        1 banana

-        2 tbsp of sliced almonds

-        ¾ cup of skim milk or soy milk

-        1 tsp honey (or sweetener of your choice)

-        3 tbsp of your favorite protein powder (this is an optional ingredient)

Directions:

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and make sure to cover it before blending. Continue blending for about half a minute on high speed. You’ll want to check if the almonds have gotten sufficiently crushed up. Once they have (you shouldn’t see bits of them floating around anymore), your smoothie ready to serve.

On-the-Run Breakfast Smoothie

This is a quickie recipe for when you’re in a hurry but still want to squeeze in a healthy breakfast. It’s one of those go-to recipes you’ll always want to keep in mind just in case you find yourself in a rush.

Ingredients:

-        ½ cup of milk (your choice of the type of milk)

-        1 instant oatmeal packet

-        ½ cup of orange juice

-        1 banana

Directions:

Slice the banana into several pieces. Then, blend all the ingredients together. Pour the smoothie into a portable drinking container, like a water bottle, and get going!

There is nothing better than sitting back on the beach enjoying a nice smoothie.  While there are many choices for smoothies, there’s nothing better than good tropical smoothie recipes for those hot summer days.  Of course, everyone would ideally like to enjoy their tropical smoothie on a beach in Hawaii but even just sitting on the deck in your back yard sipping a smoothie is an enjoyable experience.  A tropical smoothie can contain many variations depending on personal preference. They typically have at least a pineapple or banana in them since those are tastes typically associated with the tropics.  In addition to those two fruits, most tropical smoothie recipes will yield a lighter colored drink.

Why Are Tropical Smoothies So Good?

Tropical smoothies can make you feel like you are on a tropical vacation with the wind blowing in your hair, even if you’re just sitting on a break bench at work.  The strong aroma from the drink can quickly bring you back to a favorite beach vacation from your past.  Making a fresh tropical smoothie can be quick and easy by just taking a smoothie mix, following the basic instructions and adding a large piece of pineapple.  This would be the simplest form of a tropical smoothie but most people prefer to get much more creative than that.  Mixing a pineapple and a banana is probably the most common combination and that often serves as the starting point for many good tropical smoothie recipes.

Once you’ve tried the basics for tropical smoothies, it is fun to experiment with adding other fruits or flavorings.  Strawberries can be a great choice and will typically result in a light pinkish drink which fits right in with the tropical theme of the drink.  Something of an underrated addition to any tropical smoothie would be coconut!  Coconuts are not always readily available in many areas, so some people choose to use coconut extract as a substitute – but if you can find it fresh, that’s the way to go.  The smooth flavor of a coconut will compliment the sweetness of a pineapple and of course, a coconut is perhaps the most tropical of all fruits.

To complete the look, many restaurants will include a mini-umbrella in their tropical smoothies and that’s a fun and easy addition anyone can add at home as well.  Another way to make sure your smoothie looks like it was delivered right from a tropical island is to garnish the glass with pieces of tropical fruit like a pineapple, coconut or even a cherry.  Having this fresh fruit on the side is an attractive and great tasting little bonus for every tropical smoothie recipe.

Tropical islands are known for the exciting and delicious drinks you can find there, so why not make them at home and bring the excitement of the tropics to your own back yard?  The simple to follow recipes for a great tropical smoothie will have you relaxing with a cold drink in your hand in no time.

How to Make Tropical Smoothies

Whether you’re just looking for a refreshing drink or trying to relive a favorite sunny vacation, you have to try these great tasting tropical smoothie recipes!

Layered Mango and More Smoothie

This is a really unique smoothie that will take a little extra work, but it will be more than worth it. The reason it’s more complicated is that it’s supposed to have 2 different colored layers when it’s served. The bottom layer will be yellow and the top will be pink. Here’s how it works…

Ingredients:

Top layer:

-        1 tbsp lime juice

-        10 strawberries

-        1 banana

-        ½ cup ice cubes

Bottom layer

-        1 tbsp lime juice

-        ½ cup orange juice

-        1 mango

-        2 tbsp honey

-        ½ cup ice cubes

Directions:

This smoothie is going to have two parts, if you haven’t guessed that yet. You’ll have to make them separately. First you’ll want to prepare the mango. Peel the skin off the mango, remove the pit and chop it into smaller pieces. Next, chop up the banana into several pieces. Take your strawberries and cut each one in half, so you’ll end up with 20 halves.

Next, blend the mango, honey, ½ cup of ice cubes, orange juice and1 tablespoon of lime juice until they’re smooth. Pour the mixture into 2 separate drinking glasses, dividing evenly. Rinse the blender and blend together the rest of the ingredients. When they’re ready, gently pour this blend into the glasses, trying to keep the two colored halves from mixing. You should end up with 2 servings of smoothies, each with 2 layers of colors and flavors. Pretty cool, right? Don’t forget to take a picture of this beautiful creation before enjoying your delicious tropical drinks!

Pineapple Citrus Smoothie

This is a simple one, but no less tropical. It’s sure to take your mind back to a pleasant memory. This recipe should result in several servings, so you could share the good times with your friends or family.

Ingredients:

-        1.5 cups pineapple juice

-        1.5 cups orange juice

-        4 cups grapefruit juice

-        1.5 cups mineral water

Directions:

Unlike the Layered Mango and More Smoothie, the directions for this smoothie are simple. Just blend all the ingredients together. This makes for a great tropical drink, but if you like to have a bit more creaminess, try adding some plain yogurt to the mix.

Many popular smoothie recipes have one thing in common: the strawberry. Strawberry smoothie recipes are among the most popular, possibly because of the strong taste that strawberries have. Strawberries also give most smoothies a red or pink color, which many find quite appetizing. The options for mixing strawberries with other fruits are virtually endless and most people will enjoy trying every single one.

Of all types of smoothies containing strawberries, perhaps the most common are the strawberry banana smoothie recipes. Strawberries and bananas go together extremely well and are popular in anything from yogurt to pies – so why not smoothies? The basic strawberry banana smoothie is a great, healthy drink that virtually everyone enjoys. Even this great recipe can have variations within in it to make it a custom drink tailored to each individual. Customizations could include anything from adding a tablespoon of vanilla extract to the addition of another fruit to the mix. Whatever options you prefer, making custom strawberry banana smoothie recipes is a fun way to expand on your smoothie recipe book.

Getting the Perfect Mix of Strawberries

It is no mystery why strawberry smoothie recipes are so popular. Strawberries are one of the most loved fruits around and they are widely available at supermarkets for much of the year. There is nothing better, however, than getting freshly picked strawberries right from the farm or farmer’s market to add to a great smoothie. The wonderful flavor and great texture the strawberries add to any smoothie is something virtually everyone likes. Strawberries are also a great looking berry, with their bright red coloring and healthy looking green stem. Adding a slice of strawberry on the edge of the glass as a garnish is another fun way to add a great look to the drink at parties. Getting creative with decorating your strawberry smoothie recipes is just one more fun reason to enjoy them!

One thing to keep in mind when working on your perfect strawberry smoothie recipe is that fresh strawberries can go bad if not used quickly. For this reason, it may be wise to plan when you will be enjoying a delicious smoothie ahead of time so you can buy the ingredients at the right time. Another way to avoid this problem is to use frozen strawberries. While many people think this takes away from the taste, others disagree. Using frozen strawberries can be a great convenience since they will thaw while being blended and result in a great tasting smoothie without worrying about the possibility of your strawberries going bad.

Strawberries are considered to be a romantic fruit by many, and that can also be thought of when creating a great strawberry smoothie recipe.  Try matching a wonderful chocolate covered strawberry with a cool strawberry smoothie and you’re well on your way to a romantic evening with your husband or wife. Both will enjoy the great tastes and appreciate the thought their partner put into creating such a fun drink for them.

How to Make Strawberry Smoothies

Strawberry smoothies are one of the most popular types of smoothies not just for their taste but for the ease of preparation. Try these delicious strawberry smoothie recipes and you’re guaranteed to be hooked!

Pineapple Strawberry Smoothie

If you enjoy pineapple, you’re going to like this refreshing smoothie recipe.

Ingredients:

-        ¾ cup of pineapple juice

-        ¾ cup of skim milk

-        1 cup fresh strawberries

-        4 oz vanilla yogurt

-        ½ cup ice cubes

-        2 tbsp sugar

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend on medium, increasing gradually to high speed, for about 30 seconds or until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Pour into a tall drinking glass and enjoy your tasty creation.

For more variations, try using Greek yogurt for added thickness, or actual pineapple chunks in addition to the pineapple juice.

Classic Strawberry Smoothie

This is one of your back-to-basics recipes. Just the way your mother used to make them… maybe.

Ingredients:

-        7-10 fresh strawberries

-        ½ cup skim or low-fat milk

-        ½ cup yogurt (plain, or vanilla if you prefer)

-        3 tbsp sugar

-        2 tsp pure vanilla extract

-        ½ cup crushed ice

Directions:

Place all of the ingredients except for the ice into your blender and blend on low speed. Add the ice and blend on medium speed until your smoothie mixture is nice and smooth. That’s it! You’re ready to serve and enjoy this classic strawberry smoothie.

Smooth Blackberry and Strawberry Smoothie

It’s not often we get to use blackberries in our smoothie recipes – but that’s a mistake, because blackberries are quite a good addition to almost any kind of berry smoothie. Let’s right our wrongs and give this delicious concoction a try.

Ingredients:

-        1 cup vanilla ice cream

-        ½ cup fresh strawberries

-        1 ½ cups blackberries, fresh or frozen

-        1 cup low-fat milk

-        2 dashes of lime juice

-        Whipped cream (yum!)

Directions:

First, blend the ice cream with the milk so that it breaks down into a creamy consistency. That will make it easier for the berries to be absorbed by the ice cream base. One the ice cream is smooth, add all of the ingredients together and blend on high until all the berries have been liquefied. If you’re a berry lover, this one is going to knock your socks off!

One of the most popular frozen drinks available today is the smoothie. There are many reasons for this, including the amazing taste, fun look and the ease with which they are made. Following a simple smoothie recipe can be a fun and easy way to make this great tasting and very healthy drink. By simply adding in ingredients to a blender and hitting a button, you can quickly have a great tasting drink which you can take with you anywhere. The health benefits of smoothies can be an additional benefit many people will appreciate.

The Benefits of a Simple Smoothie Recipe

People of all ages love the great taste of smoothies and with some easy to follow simple smoothie recipes, even children can join in the fun of creating a smoothie. Teaching kids how to prepare the fruit to go into the blender and measure out the amount of smoothie mix, yogurt or ice is a valuable lesson that your kids will love learning. Children will be begging to be able to make a smoothie all the time and since they can be so healthy, most parents won’t have a problem letting them make one. Smoothies can be a great drink with a meal or even an evening snack for kids. They will love it and don’t have to know how healthy it is!

Smoothies can even function as a meal replacement if the proper recipe is found. Many people have found that, at times when they only need a quick meal just for themselves, a smoothie is the perfect option. The many simple smoothie recipes can quickly blend together a healthy drink that will fill you up for hours.

Another great thing to do with a simple smoothie recipe is add in some powdered protein or other supplements. This can provide a quick and easy way to get the needed nutrients every day without having to endure the unpleasant taste of the powder.  The strong, delicious flavor of a smoothie will completely mask any aftertaste from the powdered supplements. In addition to whatever supplements are used, the simple recipe will often contain many healthy items, like fruits, which will provide healthy, natural sugars and vitamins.

It does not matter how old you are or how good of a cook you may be. Following a simple smoothie recipe is a quick and simple thing anyone can learn. Serving the results to friends can also be a fun way to show off your newfound skill. Adding additional options to a simple smoothie can also help you grow your abilities in the kitchen by helping learn which type of flavors go together well and which don’t. It’s a fun way for anyone to gain a good understanding of how to make things in the kitchen, so regardless of your current level of cooking knowledge, learning to make a simple smoothie recipe will be a great way to improve!

How to Make Simple Smoothies

Smoothies are great because they’re both delicious and easy to make. Even the most complicated smoothie recipe isn’t really that difficult to follow. And the really simple recipes are so easy, even your kids could make great tasting smoothies with them.

Strawberry Lemonade Smoothie

This isn’t your typical smoothie, but it’s simply amazing on a nice summer day. And of course, it’s super easy to make!

Ingredients:

-        1 cup of strawberry yogurt

-        2 cups of fresh or frozen strawberries

-        2 cups of lemonade

Directions:

Pour the lemonade and the yogurt into your blender and then add the strawberries. Blend at medium speed for about half a minute before increasing the speed to high. Make sure the strawberries mixed into the yogurt and lemonade well. Now, just pour and serve. Simple, right?

Double Apple Smoothie

If you’re an apple lover, you’re going to really like this Double Apple Smoothie recipe. Give it a taste and just try not to like it!

Ingredients:

-        1 red apple

-        1 green apple

-        1 cup of apple juice

-        1 handful of fresh strawberries

-        2 bananas

Directions:

First, wash the apples. Next, chop them into pieces, along with the bananas. Place the chopped up bananas and apples into the blender, followed by the strawberries and apple juice. Blend them together until you get a smooth texture. Now, have a sip and enjoy your creation.

Classic California Smoothie

Why is this called the California Smoothie? Well, because it will make you feel like you’re in a sunny climate, enjoying a nice, refreshing drink. It’s a classic!

Ingredients:

-        1/3 cup of orange juice

-        1 cup of lemon yogurt

-        8 large strawberries

Directions:

We told you this was an easy smoothie recipe, right? It couldn’t be much simpler, but here’s the catch: if you’re using fresh strawberries, put them in the freezer for an hour before making this smoothie. If you’re using frozen strawberries, you’re good to go. Blend all the ingredients together until it looks like a smoothie worth smiling about (aren’t they all?) and pour it into your favorite glass when it’s ready. Make sure you share this one – it’s too good to have all to yourself!

Fruit smoothies are consumed by millions of people around the world.  They can be made at home with natural, fresh ingredients or you can buy them pre-made in any super market.  There are literally hundreds of different fruit combinations which can be tried and enjoyed all year around.  Some people have found that these great, healthy, drinks can get a new twist by simply adding yogurt!  Finding fruit smoothie recipes with yogurt is getting more and more common all the time as people realize the great taste and additional health benefits which yogurt can add.

The Benefits of Yogurt in Your Smoothie

Yogurt, like smoothies, comes in a huge range of types and flavors.  Taking advantage of this similarity can help design fun new smoothie recipes.  If you find your smoothie is too thin or watery, a great way to thicken it up is to add a “custard style” yogurt.  This can also help add or change the flavor.  Or, if the flavor is already good, using a “plain” flavored yogurt will help retain the existing taste.  Other types of yogurt styles such as “light and fluffy” can add a fun new texture to any fruit smoothie recipe.

Another advantage of using yogurt in a smoothie is that you can buy yogurt with the fruit already in it.  This takes away the requirement of keeping fresh fruit around all the time.  Dumping in a delicious strawberry yogurt or two to any recipe will have the benefit of both the yogurt and the fruit!  This is especially useful when trying to make a smoothie at work or while traveling.  The fewer ingredients you have to worry about, the better!

Yogurt contains many powerful, healthy ingredients, such as probiotics, which can help regulate and improve your digestion system.  For people who don’t always enjoy eating yogurt, adding it to a smoothie is the perfect way to get those health benefits!  Fruit smoothie recipes with yogurt are often high in many critical vitamins, calcium, probiotics, antioxidants, protein and many other healthy nutrients.   It would be hard to come up with a better tasting health drink.

Adding yogurt to a smoothie is a natural way to add variety to your smoothie recipe collection.  The simple addition of either flavored or plain yogurt can add new life to old recipes or even change the texture of a smoothie to create a whole new experience.  The convenience of adding yogurt couldn’t be easier as well, since you can either use the individual serving cups of yogurt or buy a large container of your favorite flavor to last for several weeks.

Fruit smoothie recipes with yogurt are available online, in recipe books and sometimes even right on a yogurt or smoothie mix container.  The popularity is growing and the trend seems to show that it will only continue to get more popular as people try it.  Try this great tasting recipe for yourself or make them to share at a party!  Fruit smoothies with yogurt are great any time!

Fruit and Yogurt Smoothie Recipes

Below are some of our favorite fruit and yogurt combinations for smoothies. Try out each of them and find the one you like best!

Raspberry Banana Yogurt Smoothie

This recipe uses your choice of soy milk or almond milk rather than regular milk to give the smoothie a slightly different, and more unique, texture and flavor. Give it a try – most people really like it!

Ingredients:

-        1.5 cups (12 oz) almond milk or soy milk

-        6 oz of your favorite vanilla yogurt

-        1 banana

-        1 1/3 cup raspberries

Directions:

This is a really simple one. Just blend all the ingredients together for half a minute and give it a taste. If you’d like it to come out a little colder, add some ice to the mix. Or, if you prefer your smoothies creamier, use more yogurt. Play around with the recipe and make your own variations!

Strawberry-Peach Vanilla Yogurt Smoothie

This recipe uses a combination of strawberries, beach and banana to create a delicious fusion with vanilla yogurt. If you’re not big on vanilla, use a fruit flavored yogurt instead.

Ingredients:

-        1 cup whole strawberries

-        2 tbsp orange juice

-        2 peaches (leave the pits out!)

-        1 banana

-        1.5 cups of your favorite vanilla or flavored yogurt

Directions:

Again, just mix everything together at once. If your blender is not very large, you will want to first blend the strawberries and yogurt together, then add the banana (cut it up if you have to) and finally the peaches and orange juice. Regardless of the order, you’ll end up with a beautifully crafted fruit and yogurt smoothie.

Healthy Yogurt Smoothie

Smoothies with yogurt are generally considered to be pretty healthy, but this one goes a step further. You’ll notice that it contains less sugar than most others, as well as a couple ingredients you don’t usually see in smoothie recipes. Nevertheless, it’s quite tasty!

Ingredients:

-        4 oz low-fat yogurt

-        1 banana

-        1 tbsp vanilla extract

-        1 tbsp flax seed meal

-        1 tbsp flax seed oil

-        2 tbsp orange juice

-        ½ cup skim milk

-        Cinnamon

Directions:

Cut the banana into several pieces and mix it in the blender with the yogurt. Next, add the orange juice, milk, vanilla and other ingredients. Blend for 30 seconds or until you reach the smoothness you prefer. Add a couple dashes of cinnamon to taste. You’re in control here – the cinnamon will bring an extra seasoning to the smoothie, so add as much as you like.