Summer smoothie recipes

Have you ever thought about trying a smoothie as a snack? It takes the same amount of time as making a cup of tea. Try whizzing up a nutritious summer smoothie using seasonal fruit to boost energy or even a yummy breakfast. Smoothies are a great alternative for people who find it hard to eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily.

Serves: 2

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Ingredients for summer smoothies:

Optional for each one:

Ice (for a colder smoothie or use frozen fruit!)

Honey (for a sweeter taste)

Using frozen or fresh fruit is entirely up to you!

Ingredients

Banana and mango:

1 banana

1 mango

150 ml no-added sugar oat-milk

Berry:

A handful of each: blueberries, strawberries and raspberries

150 ml no-added sugar coconut milk

Tropical:

A handful of melon chunks

Half a pineapple

150 ml no-added sugar coconut milk

Breakfast smoothie

A handful of blueberries

1 tbsp of porridge oats

1 banana

150 ml no-added sugar oat milk

1 tsp honey

1 tsp of vanilla extract

Green smoothie

A handful of spinach

1 small avocado

A handful of strawberries

150 ml of orange juice

Instructions

1. Chop up your fruit into small chunks so they blend well
2. Add in your additions to a blender, e.g. oats, vanilla etc.
3. Pour in your milk, water or juice
4. Optional: this is where you would add ice to make it colder or honey to make it sweeter
5. Blend until your desired consistency (around a minute)
6. (add more milk or fruit to make it thicker or thinner!

Why this is good for you

There are a number of benefits to consuming smoothies! They can be a great way to increase the intake of fruit and vegetables in our diet, contributing towards our 5-a-day. Many studies indicate that a diet high in fruit and vegetables may help reduce breast cancer risk. Smoothies increase fibre intake and boost our vitamin levels. More and more studies show that a diet high in fibre is also associated with a decreased breast cancer risk. 

Keep in mind though: In a smoothie, fruit and vegetables are pureed, not juiced. This means that most of the ingredients, such as valuable fibre, are still there. However, smoothies are not necessarily low in calories because with a smoothie, you take in fruit and vegetables in concentrated form. On the one hand, this is good, but on the other hand, it can tempt you to consume more than you would actually eat if the fruit or vegetables were not pureed. Smoothies make it easy to consume a large amount of fruit and vegetables faster than the time needed to feel full.

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