How to Make a Healthy Fruit Smoothie

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Smoothies aren't just summer fun anymore -- they're key to making your tastebuds start toe-tapping any time of year. And now they come in a plethora of flavors that are scrumptious and good for you. Here's a few to try!

Ingredients

Apple Cinnamon Peanut Butter

• 1/4 cup (25 g) uncooked whole oats
• 1 1/2 teaspoons (7 g) dried chia seeds
• 1 cup (8 oz) skim milk
• 1/4 cup (2 oz) low-fat Greek yogurt
• 3/4 cup (6 oz) applesauce
• 2 tablespoons (30 g) peanut butter or PB2
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 g) cinnamon
• 1-2 teaspoons honey (7 g) (or sweetener)

Cherry Vanilla Oat

• 1/4 cup (25 g) uncooked oats
• 1 tablespoon (15 g) flax seeds
• 3/4 cup (6 oz) soy milk
• 1/2 cup (4 oz) cherry juice
• 1/4 cup (2 oz) Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup (4 oz) dried cherries (or 1 (8 oz) cup fresh, frozen, or canned)
• 1/4 teaspoon (pinch) vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
• 1 teaspoon (5 g) honey (or sweetener)

Raspberry Banana Coconut

• 1 cup (8 oz) ice
• 1/2 cup (4 oz) frozen raspberries
• 1/2 cup (4 oz) plain low-fat yogurt
• 1 banana
• 1/2 cup (50 g) old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 tablespoon (15 g) honey (or sweetener)
• 1 cup (8 oz) coconut water

Steps

Apple Cinnamon Peanut Butter

1. Put the oats and chia seeds into the blender. Grate 'em up until you get the consistency of flour -- in other words, till they're near powder.
2. Add milk and yogurt. Then blend it up! Occasionally stop the blender to get all the oat-chia powder unstuck from the bottom of the blender.
3. Add the applesauce, peanut butter, and cinnamon. Turn it on again until you get the consistency you're looking for in a smoothie. If it's too thick, add a bit more liquid. Mix it manually if necessary.
   • Adjust the apple or peanut butter-ness of the smoothie by adding more or less of one ingredient. However, too much peanut butter and you lose the healthy descriptor for this smoothie.
     • PB2 is a peanut butter substitute that's a bit healthier (tastes like it as well).
4. Taste it. If you'd like it a little sweeter, add honey or sweetener. However, if you have neither of these, don't sweat it. The smoothie will be good without it! Then, pour it in a glass and start relaxing.
   • If you can't drink it all now, throw it in the freezer for later! It'll keep for a few days.

Cherry Vanilla Oat

1. Blend up the flax seeds and oats. Get it to a very thin consistency. Think about how textured you like your smoothies -- if you like it a bit chunkier, blend it a bit less.
2. Add the milk, juice, and yogurt. Grab a spoon and mix it up to make it a little easier on the blender -- or else the flax-oat powder may not combine well.
3. Throw in the cherries and vanilla. Blend until the smoothie looks ready. Take a small taste test and see if you'd like it any sweeter. If so, add honey or sugar substitute and blend a bit more.
   • Fresh cherries are going to taste very different than dried or canned. And if you use fresh, don't throw them in with the pits!
4. Pour in a glass and enjoy! Complete the look with a straw and umbrella for summer in a glass. Keep it cold in the fridge or freezer if you'd like to have it later.

Raspberry Banana Coconut

1. Add ice and raspberries to the blender. Blend it up for 20 seconds or so to make the whole process go a little bit faster. It doesn't need to blend all the way; just break it up a bit so you're not left with ice cubes in your drink.
2. Add in the oats, banana, yogurt and coconut water. Cut the banana into pieces beforehand, of course. Blend it up until it reaches the texture and thickness you desire.
   • Greek yogurt is great, but low-fat regular is tasty, too. And really any flavor works!
3. Try it out. This smoothie is great without the honey or sugar substitute, but if you have a sweet tooth, a bit of honey will do the trick.
   • If you like this smoothie, try substituting different yogurt flavors for a subtle yet noticeable flavor difference.
4. Pour into glasses. This recipe will make two regular-sized smoothies. One for breakfast and one for lunch! Now that was easy math. Put it in the freezer to keep it cold and thick -- if there's extra, of course.

Tips

• Don't use a wooden spoon in the blender to mix it up. You could end up up with a tree-flavored smoothie.
• Use half of an empty coconut for a glass if you want to get creative!
• If you are lactose-intolerant, removing the yogurt is fine -- your smoothie will just be thinner. Substitute a banana for thickness if desired.
• Add some creative toppings. You can add a drizzle of chocolate on top of it or some parsley, mint or raspberries!
• Experiment with different combinations! Work with a certain recipe until you have it perfected.

Things You'll Need

• Blender or food processor
• Cutting board
• Knife
• Measuring tools
• Glass

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