Add some oomph to your daily morning orange juice by making a healthy orange juice smoothie. Turn the boring traditional breakfast drink into a nutritious, low calorie, low fat meal. How can it get any better? Well, smoothies are quick and easy to make and they taste delicious, too! And don’t just limit your smoothies intake to the morning- try them throughout the day for a healthy snack or even as a dessert.
Here is a basic recipe for an orange juice smoothie:
1 cup each- orange juice and strawberries 2 bananas, cut into chunks 5-6 large ice cubes
Freshly squeezed orange juice and ripe strawberries are best, of course. But bottled orange juice or frozen strawberries are also good. The ice cubes are optional, but I think they make the smoothie have a better texture. And if you don’t use frozen strawberries, the ice makes your smoothie more refreshing. You can also substitute milk or yogurt if you don’t have orange juice. Adding either is also an ingenious way for your kids to get some of their calcium and protein requirements for the day.
The great thing about smoothie recipes is that they don’t have to be exact at all. You can leave any of the above ingredients out if you don’t have them or just don’t like them.
On the opposite side of the scale, you can add about any fruit. You can add sweeteners if you wish. (Honey is yummy.)
Then there are many ingredients you may add to boost the nutritional value, such as wheat germ, flax seeds, etc. You can make several types of smoothies, depending on your tastes and nutritional needs. You can add greens to a fruit smoothie and your kids will never know. Make a smoothie with vegetables to get a homemade, refreshing drink similar to the popular canned type without all of the additives. Add protein powder if you want to build muscle. Some added cocoa is delicious in certain smoothies recipes (think bananas).
The possibilities are endless with smoothie recipes. Get creative with your smoothies. You will find them to be a valuable addition to your daily menus! They are valuable the most when you don’t have enough time in the day to eat a complete meal!
Oh, by the way, the above smoothie recipe makes enough for two. So, make more if you’re feeding a crowd of hungry or thirsty people.
