© Emily Pritchard for milk. magazine
It’s that time of year when everyone wants to be a little bit healthier. Gyms become inundated with new members and people take on all manner of strange diets. But why go to all that hassle? If you’re looking for a fun and easy way to improve your diet then why not try smoothies.
Don’t underestimate the power of the smoothie. They can be used as a healthy alternative to soft drinks, a delicious snack, or even a quick and easy breakfast on-the-go. The vitamins, minerals and energy supplied by a smoothie will give you the boost needed to get through the morning. They are also a great way to avoid snacking on unhealthy foods in between meals and, will help to keep you focused during those long working hours. However, shop-bought smoothies can become quite pricey if you buy them regularly, so I thought I would share with you some simple smoothie recipes that will benefit you as well as your bank account.
The most essential ingredient when making smoothies is, in actual fact, a blender. Whilst some can be expensive, especially if you have seen the price of the ‘Nutri-bullet’, I have searched high and low on Google in order to find you a reasonably priced yet reliable blender. The Breville VBL062 Active Blender is a popular machine and sold at only £19.99 by Amazon. This will certainly help you to achieve the best home-made smoothies.
Now that we’ve got the blender sorted, let’s start thinking about fruit. Whilst fresh fruit would be ideal for these recipes, it can often be discouragingly expensive. Frozen fruit, however, is cheaper, will last much longer and tastes just as good as fresh. Asda, Tesco and Morrisons provide a wide range of frozen fruit, including summer fruits, blueberries, raspberries, and mango, for around £2.
Here are three of my favourite smoothie recipes to get you started. Just prepare the ingredients, put them all in the blender and blend on high power until smooth. It’s as simple as that.
© Charlotte Rowntree for milk. magazine
Super Summer fruits Smoothie
340 grams frozen summer fruits
1 banana, frozen or fresh
150ml natural yogurt
150ml semi-skimmed or dairy-free milk, (you could use almond, soy or coconut milk)
1 teaspoon honey, to sweeten
Jump-start Berry Smoothie
170 grams frozen strawberries
85g frozen blueberries
85g frozen raspberries
85g fresh orange juice
60ml low-fat yogurt
Mango and Blueberry Smoothie
170g frozen mango
170g frozen blueberries
1 banana, frozen or fresh
1 teaspoon honey
100ml dairy-free milk, (you could use almond, soy or coconut milk)
These simple and healthy recipes will enable you to start a balanced, healthy diet without buying expensive ingredients, equipment, food supplements and vitamins. I hope you enjoy these smoothies as much as I do.
Tweet us a pic of your smoothies @milkbathspa
