The smoothie — a drinkable breakfast, snack, or workout drink — is one of the easiest culinary creations to make at home. A variation on the kinds of fruity drinks made in tropical countries for years, it was christened “smoothie” in the 1960s. As it grew to include healthy add-ins, boosting it from a snack to a meal, the smoothie began to inch into the healthy mainstream. Suddenly, smoothies were everywhere! Check out these sensational berry smoothies as a starting point. Each one is simple and completely delicious.
Hidden-Spinach Berry Smoothie
Serves: 2. Prep time: 10 minutes.
2 cups frozen or fresh raspberries, strawberries,
blackberries, or a mix
3 cups spinach (packed)
1 cup yogurt, kefir, or a non-dairy alternative like
almond milk
1 large banana, fresh or frozen
Put the berries and spinach in the blender first, and add the yogurt and banana. Process, scraping down as needed. Blend until smooth and serve.
You’ll enjoy a salad's worth of healthy spinach in this luscious smoothie, and hardly notice it's there!
Strawberry-Pomegranate Smoothie
Serves: 2. Prep time: 5 minutes.
2 cups frozen strawberries
1 large frozen banana, cut in chunks
1 cup kefir, yogurt, or a non-dairy alternative like
almond milk
1 cup pomegranate juice
2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds
In a blender, pile in the strawberries and frozen banana, then add kefir and pomegranate juice. Process to puree; serve garnished with pomegranate seeds. If the smoothie is too thick to blend, add milk or a non-dairy alternative as needed.
Pomegranate juice is an antioxidant superstar, and its wonderfully tart flavor is balanced by banana and creamy kefir.
Mixed Berry and Oat Smoothie with Granola
Serves: 2. Prep time: 5 minutes.
2 cups frozen mixed berries
4 ounces firm silken tofu
1⁄4 cup rolled oats
1 1⁄2 cups vanilla soymilk or other milk
1⁄2 cup granola
In a blender, place the mixed berries, then tofu, oats and soymilk. Process until smooth. Serve in two glasses, with 1⁄4 cup of granola on top of each.
Berries disguise the secret ingredient (tofu!) and a sprinkle of granola adds a tasty crunch.
Reprinted by permission from grocery.coop. Find these and other recipes, plus information about your food and where it comes from at grocery.coop.