Who doesn’t love fruit drinks? And if they’re healthy and easy to prepare, what’s not to love?
Faced with shelves filled with over-sweetened juices and kids’ beverages full of high fructose corn syrup, you either have to stick with brands you trust, or just make your own. Fruit smoothies are packed with essential vitamins and minerals every child needs, and you can whip them up literally in minutes.
When you’re in the produce section, buy a pound or two more of your favorite fruit than you need right now.Wash, peel (if needed), slice into small pieces (1 inch or smaller) and store in your freezer in a tightly-sealed plastic container. You can create your own collection of favorites like bananas, mangoes, peaches, avocados, strawberries and other berries or more exotic tropical fruit like star fruit, papaya and guanabana.
If you’re lactose intolerant, you can easily substitute soy, almond or rice milk for cow’s milk. And when you add plain yogurt with live bacteria, you’re also helping to keep your digestive system healthy.
Add flavor and zest with additions like cinnamon, ginger or ground flax seeds; a spoonful of honey adds sweetness.
My absolute favorite is a mango and guanabana combo, but since the latter item can be hard to find, I’m happy making a mango and banana smoothie anytime.
Banana Smoothie
1 cup plain white yogurt
1 cup frozen banana, peeled and chopped
1 cup frozen mango, peeled and chopped
1 1/2 tbsp flax seed (optional)
1 tbsp honey (optional)
dash of ground ginger & cinnamon (optional)
1. Add frozen fruit to blender and follow with yogurt and milk
Enjoy this healthy snack yumminess!
