Three Easy Blender Ready Smoothie Recipes

One of the things we're trying to do here at Casual Kitchen over the past several months is to eat a lot more raw foods, especially fruit. Fruits, especially tropical fruits, are so packed with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and fiber, that they are just staggeringly good for you.

Today's post contains three extremely simple smoothie recipes that you can whip up in just seconds. Homemade smoothies are perfect foods because they are flexible, you know exactly what goes in them, and they are easy for your body to digest. Heck, your body barely has to lift a finger to digest a smoothie--everything is already pureed, so all you need to do is drink it down and let your digestive tract extract the nutrients. You don't even need to chew.


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1) Laura's Simple Smoothie
This recipe can be a standalone and delicious smoothie on its own, but it can also act as a base for more complicated smoothies. Also, notice the optional honey as a sweetener--this is an optional ingredient for those preferring a sweeter smoothie (I like my smoothies unsweetened).

1/2 frozen banana
1/2 cup orange juice
1 cup lowfat milk
1/2 cup lowfat yogurt
1-2 Tablespoons honey (more or less--or none--to taste)

Puree in a blender, pour and serve.

I'll make a confession: I can't stand yogurt (mayonnaise is possibly the only substance on earth that grosses me out more). Somehow the tang of it ruins the flavor for me. Since you will need some sort of a thickening agent for your smoothie, I've found crushed ice can substitute.

2) Dan's Mango Smoothie
Made expressly to Dan's specifications--sans yogurt. Mangoes are one of the best tropical fruits out there, and they are widely available in grocery stores throughout the year. They have lots of fiber, vitamins (particularly Vitamin A and C) and antioxidants. (PS: here are some tips on how to cut up and process a mango--scroll to the bottom of the page).

1/2 cup ice
1/2 cup orange juice
1 cup lowfat milk
1 mango

Blend well and serve.

3) Fruit Smoothie
This is essentially Laura's Simple Smoothie used as a ready base, combined with any other fruit you have handy.

1/2 frozen banana
1/2 cup orange juice
1 cup lowfat milk
1/2 cup lowfat yogurt (or 1/2 cup ice)
1 cup of mixed (fresh or frozen) fruit of your choice.
1-2 Tablespoons honey (more or less--or none--to taste)

Blend well and serve.
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Enjoy!

Related Posts:
Food Absolutism
The Seven-Day Raw Foods Trial: Full Archive
Reader Questions and Answers on Raw Foods and My Raw Food Trial
Does Healthy Eating Really Cost Too Much? A Blogger Roundtable

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