Mango Tango Berry Smoothie

Smoothies in the morning are an easy way to grab a nutritious cup of fruits and veggies especially for people who don't like a big breakfast.

This one is easy peasy. And it doesn't have anything but fruit in it - no dairy. Throw in a handful of frozen mango, fresh or frozen strawberries, pineapple and a 2 peeled oranges. I add 1/2 c  water (more if needed). Blend away and it's done! It honestly tastes like spring feels - clean, fresh, pure and refreshing. If you want you can add some hemp hearts for added nutrition.

Ingredients

1/2 cup frozen mango
1 c strawberries
2 medium orange, peeled
1/2 cup pineapple
1/2 cup water
3 tbsp hemp seeds (optional)

Instructions

Blend everything together for 1 minute or desired consistently is reached.

Other smoothies you should try:
Green Goodness
Avocado Strawberry Smoothie
Blueberry Mango Smoothie
Blueberry Banana Tofu Smoothie
Pomegranate and Kale Smoothie
Strawberry Muesli Smoothie
Detox Lemon Spinach Smoothie
Cranberry Orange Antioxidant Smoothie
Chocolate Avocado Smoothie

cranberry orange antioxidant smoothie

With the Holiday season just around the corner, my mind and recipe book is turning to seasonal dishes and ingredients. Cranberries always come to mind this time of year - sauces, dessert, and treats abound but today I'm sharing this orange cranberry smoothie with a hint of vanilla. This smoothie is tart but still more sweet than not. If you like it more tart go ahead and add up to another 1/4 cup of cranberries.

Makes 2 servings.

Ingredients

2 small oranges
1/2 cup frozen cranberries
1/2 cup yogurt
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla

Instructions

Throw everything into nutrininja or blender.
Blend 1 minute.

Fruit Salad Smoothie

Lots of fruit along with a little plain yogurt and peach nectar makes this smoothie quick, easy and healthy. You can add whatever fruit you have on hand - fresh or frozen. At the cabin, soaking in some sun? Then maybe you want to kick it up a notch with the addition of a little tequila or vodka.

Makes one smoothie.

Ingredients

1 cup fruit - I used strawberry, orange & watermelon but any combo will do
1/2 cup peach nectar (or other juice or even water)
1/2 c plain yogurt
a handful of ice cubes if NOT using frozen fruit
1/2 tsp vanilla (optional but adds another level of flavor)

Instructions

Blend everything in blender or nutribullet until smooth. If too thick add more juice or water.

Oh the Irony Smoothie

My 8 year old has low iron so in addition to iron supplements, we've been trying to increase iron rich foods in his diet. He's not a big meat eater so it's not exactly an easy task!

I had to laugh last night when he bounded down the stairs to tell me that I just had to buy him Fruit Loops! Now he knows that type of cereal is usually only allowed on his birthday but he insisted I should buy a box to improve his iron levels! Turns out a serving of Fruit Loops contains 50% of a person's daily iron need....seriously.

I'm still not convinced that everything else in it outweighs it's iron profile...but I have to give props to my son for reading the labels at the store!

This smoothie not only offers a couple servings of fruit for him, it has extra iron. Did you know pumpkin seeds are a good source of iron? Neither did I until a friend told me so as she dropped off a jar of pumpkin seed butter on my desk! One 2 tbsp serving gives you 30% of your daily recommended iron intake (this varies depending on brand). Prune juice also has quite a bit of iron so this smoothie has a double hit. I added orange juice as Vitamin C increases the body's ability to absorb iron (btw calcium decreases it).

I would love to hear from any parents or bloggers in similar circumstances and what iron rich food recipes you're using!

Makes 1 large or 2 small smoothies

Ingredients

1/2 c prune juice
3/4 c orange juice
1/2 banana (preferably frozen)
1 tbsp honey
2/3 c frozen blueberries
1 heaping tbsp pumpkin seed butter

Instructions

Blend everything together for 1 minute.
If too thick add a bit more juice until desired consistency is reached.

Watermelon Raspberry Lemon Refresher

What an amazing few days of great weather! We managed to finally put in our vegetable garden - tomatoes, cabbage, carrots, brussel sprouts, cucumbers, squash and peppers. It's not a very big garden but the kids love helping to plant everything and when (and if) all of the veggies grow they love picking them. There is simply no better way to get kids to try new veggies than growing them in your own backyard. They also realize the hard work it takes to grow them, and that things just don't magically appear in the grocery store! Best of all they learn that homegrown veggies usually taste 100x better than what we buy from chain stores.

With the heat of the weekend and all of the kids' hard work, we had to find a way to quench their thirst with a special drink and this watermelon refresher was perfect...especially since we served it in the the melon after taking out all of the juicy watermelon bits! A perfect end to a hard day and the perfect beginning to summer!

Ingredients

1 mini watermelon
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries (or strawberries)
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
1/2 cup ice cubes

Instructions

1. Cut off a tiny bit of the bottom of the mini watermelon. Just  enough so it sits evenly on a surface. Do nt cut into the fleshy part of the melon!
2. Cut an inch or 2 off the top of the watermelon.
3. Scoop out the inside flesh of the watermelon and set aside.
4. Add the scooped out watermelon, lemon juice, frozen or fresh fruit, yogurt and ice cubes to a blender or nutribullet.
5. Blend to desired consistency.
6. Pour back into the watermelon.
7. Add straw. Enjoy!

If you find it a bit tart you could add a tablespoon of honey.

Peanut Butter Cocoa Smoothie

Did you know a Canadian was the first to patent peanut butter?

In 1884, Marcellus Gilmore Edson (February 7, 1849 - March 6, 1940) from Montreal, Quebec was issued a patent for peanut butter. According to Wikipedia, “His cooled product had 'a consistency like that of butter, lard, or ointment' according to his patent application. He included the mixing of sugar into the paste so as to harden its consistency.”

As a child of the 70s, I grew up on Kraft dinner, lime soda and peanut butter and often watched The Six Million Dollar Man, Little House on the Prairie, & MASH. I'm sure there were healthier foods and other shows but that's what I remember. I also remember sometimes being allowed to eat dinner on our collapsible TV trays! Those were the days :)

Speaking of peanut butter, I don't eat it as much anymore but occasionally use it in my smoothies, including this one. When made with plain yogurt this smoothie has a tangy flavour that reminds me of sour cream ganache. If you use vanilla yogurt it will be milder and sweeter. Originally, I was going for a peanut butter cup type of flavour only to discover that I was running out of peanut butter so I went for more cocoa flavor. But feel free to add as much peanut butter as you want!

The great thing about this smoothie is that it will satisfy your sweet tooth and your chocolate craving at the same time - without the extra refined sugar and fat found in a chocolate bar or milkshake!

Makes 3 small smoothies.

Ingredients

2-3 tbsp peanut butter
2 tbsp cocoa
2/3 cup yogurt - plain or vanilla
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 medium banana
6 ice cubes

Instructions

Place everything in a blender or Nutribullet and blend until smooth.

Orange Surprise Smoothie

The surprise in this smoothie is the addition of prunes. Prunes are surprisingly sweet and blend well (if your blender motor is pretty good). Did you notice most prunes are now labelled as dried plums? Marketing peeps thinks the marketing ploy will attract more people willing to try this nutritious fruit. And really what's not to like? They contain beneficial amounts of fiber, vitamin k, and potassium, so no matter what you call them, throw a few in your next smoothie and enjoy!

If your strawberries are very sweet you can omit the maple syrup!

Ingredients

1 orange, peeled
4 large strawberries
3-4 prunes
1 cup plain low fat yogurt
1 tbsp maple syrup

Instructions

Blend all ingredients until smooth. If too thick add water and blend again. Makes one large or two small smoothies.

A great way to start your day!

The Refresher Smoothie

I'm not a big fan of kale - unless it's in a smoothie. I thought the kale and strawberries would shine in this smoothie but I was wrong! The ginger is the star of the show here. Even though you don't use much its flavour and refreshing nature gets top billing.

Speaking of top billing, are you watching the Oscars tonight? I am but have to admit that I haven't watched many of the nominated shows this year (except the animation ones - thanks kids!). Oh well, my favorite part is the pre-show red carpet reports - who will be the best dressed?? My money is on Lupita Nyong'o!

Makes 2 smoothies.

Ingredients

handful of frozen sliced strawberries
1/2 ripe avocado
1 cup chopped frozen kale
1 inch piece of peeled ginger, chopped
2 tsp ginger syrup (optional)
1.5 cups low fat milk
water to cover (if needed)

Instructions

Blend everything in Nutribullet or blender until smooth and desired consistency is reached.

Other smoothies you should try:

Green Goodness

Avocado Strawberry Smoothie

Blueberry Mango Smoothie

Blueberry Banana Tofu Smoothie

Pomegranate and Kale Smoothie

Strawberry Muesli Smoothie

Detox Lemon Spinach Smoothie

Avocado Chocolate Smoothie
Strawberry Citrus Squeeze

Orange Strawberry Pineapple Smoothie aka the Strawberry Citrus Squeeze

We woke up to snow this morning! Snow! Now, I know many of you are wondering what the big deal is but come on, this is Vancouver in late February...it doesn't snow in late February in Vancouver. The last time I remember it snowing this late in February was three years ago.Of course, it won't last long before the rain asserts its dominance because this is Vancouver after all!

This smoothie is so simple but it is truly one of my favorite smoothies. Just strawberries, an orange, pineapple and water aka the Strawberry Citrus Squeeze. It is so refreshing and light tasting! To me, it's summer in a glass...if only I could find my sun glasses...and the sun....and it would stop snowing!

Makes 1 large smoothie.

Ingredients

4 strawberries
1/2 cup pineapple
1 medium orange, peeled
1 cup ice cold water

Instructions

Throw in blender or Nutribullet and blend until smooth.


Other smoothies you should try:
Green Goodness
Avocado Strawberry Smoothie
Blueberry Mango Smoothie
Blueberry Banana Tofu Smoothie
Pomegranate and Kale Smoothie
Strawberry Muesli Smoothie
Detox Lemon Spinach Smoothie
Avocado Chocolate Smoothie

Mango Lassi Smoothie

This is a simple smoothie that has just enough spice to make drinkers take notice. Cardamom is one of my favorite baking spices and I also love it with mangos so it's perfect in this drink. Mango Lassis are great on hot summer days ... yes, I know that most of us are living in a deep freeze right now but winter can't last forever, can it???!!

Ingredients

1 cup frozen mango
1/2 cup yogourt
1-1/2 cups milk
pinch or two of ground cardamom

Instructions

Mix everything in your blender or Nutribullet until blended smooth and no big pieces of mango remain.

Other smoothies you should try:
Green Goodness
Avocado Strawberry Smoothie
Blueberry Mango Smoothie
Blueberry Banana Tofu Smoothie
Pomegranate and Kale Smoothie
Strawberry Muesli Smoothie
Detox Lemon Spinach Smoothie
Avocado Chocolate Smoothie

Chocolate Avocado Smoothie

To me, this smoothie tastes like chocolate pudding. In fact, if you cut down the milk to just 1 cup you could serve it as a healthy pudding! This is a great afternoon snack for the kids and adults since it will keep them full until dinner-thanks to the fiber in the avocado and strawberries. It also satisfies my mid-afternoon sweet craving!

I know some people stay away from avocados because of the fruit's high fat content as about 85% an avocado's calories are from fat. It's important to remember that the fat found in an avocado is mostly the good kind called monounsaturated fat (same as found in olive oil).

Did you know?

• One avocado has 1/2 the recommended daily fibre for a woman? 
• Many believe avocados have anti-inflammation properties.
• The are also known as "alligator pears" due to the appearance of their skin and shape.
• 1/2 of an avocado provides 25% of the daily recommended amount of folate we need.

The deep chocolate flavour is thanks to the cocoa. If your strawberries are quite sweet you won't need the honey but the ones I have are rather tart so a little extra sweetness is needed.

Makes 2 smoothies.

Ingredients

1 ripe medium avocado
1 heaping tbsp cocoa
1-1/2 cups milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp honey (optional)
1 cup frozen strawberries

Instructions

Place in blender or Nutribullet and blend until smooth.

Other smoothies you should try:
Green Goodness
Avocado Strawberry Smoothie
Blueberry Mango Smoothie
Blueberry Banana Tofu Smoothie
Pomegranate and Kale Smoothie
Strawberry Muesli Smoothie
Detox Lemon Spinach Smoothie
Cranberry Orange Antioxidant Smoothie

Detox Lemon Spinach Smoothie

Do you detox? Honestly, I don't... I think our bodies are set up to detoxify all by themselves. Of course, we tend to put  a lot of stuff into our bodies that it really doesn't need ... too much sugar, caffeine, refined flour etc etc. And I for one will not be giving up all of that! So, to me, this smoothie is my way of putting a few good things into my body to make up for the junk. It's especially good when I have a sweet craving. The heat from the chili flakes and the tartness of the lemon seem to make the sweet craving go away...usually :)

Makes two small servings.

Ingredients

2 cups spinach
1/2 c frozen  blueberries
juice of 1 lemon
1/8-1/4 tsp chili flakes (depending on how much spice you can take)
1 apple, quartered, skin on
1 cup of cold water or enough to cover fruits and veggies

Instructions

Place everything in lender or Nutribullet. Blend until very smooth - about 1 minute.

Other smoothies you should try:
Green Goodness
Avocado Strawberry Smoothie
Blueberry Mango Smoothie
Blueberry Banana Tofu Smoothie
Pomegranate and Kale Smoothie
Strawberry Muesli Smoothie

Green Goodness Smoothie

Fog

The fog comes 

on little cat feet.

It sits looking

over harbor and city 

on silent haunches 

and then moves on.

- Carl Sandburg

Vancouver has been living this poem for well over a week now. The fog rolls in and out morning and night. And the city's fog horns play their eerie symphony all night long. Their sad, low tunes have even awoken me from deep sleep a few times!

The fog couldn't hide this magnificent eagle on Jericho Beach!

The fog caught between the water and mountains.

Today in the fog.

What it looks like on Sunny day.

As I sit looking out on my fog covered city, I am sipping a new combo of flavours in my Sunday smoothie -spinach, strawberries, pear and a drop of honey. I wasn't sure I would like it because I put in a whole bunch of spinach but the pear flavor was what shone through and the frozen strawberries gave it a nice slushy consistency. To be honest I'm not sure the honey added anything so I think you could leave it out.

My bunch of spinach.

I want to paint something! Love this colour!

Makes 3 cups.

Ingredients

1 bunch of fresh spinach or 2 cups chopped
1 cup strawberries, frozen
1/2 pear
1 cup water or to cover
1 tsp honey

Directions

Place everything in blender or Nutribullet and blend until smooth.

Avocado Strawberry Smoothie

When my son saw the avocado on the cutting board he wasn't sure he wanted to try this concoction. He didn't think it belonged in a drink! I managed to convince him to try it and thankfully he loved it...the cool straw helped (a present from the amazing Anabel!) This is a great smoothie for afternoon snacks for the kids. It will keep them full until dinner!

Avocado makes a great smoothie ingredient because it results in an incredibly smooth and creamy drink. Since this has avocado and banana this smoothie is quite thick. If it's too thick for your liking add a bit more water or juice.

Makes 2 small smoothies.

Ingredients

1/2 avocado
1/2 banana
5 strawberries
1/2 c yogurt
1/2 c milk
1/2 c orange juice or water (optional)

Directions

Place everything in blender or Nutribullet.
Blend for 45 seconds.

Blueberry Mango Smoothie

Another  much anticipated  installment in our "Salute to Smoothies"! Today's smoothie is a blueberry-mango blend that will be a hit with kids and adults. I've added chia seeds for fibre and extra nutrients but if you don't have chia seeds you could use flax meal or even oats.

Ingredients

2/3 frozen blueberries
1/3 frozen mango
1 cup coconut water
1 tbsp ground chia
2 tbsp vanilla yogourt

Instructions

Blend until desired consistency is reached. Extra water can be added if too thick.

Mango Almond Smoothie

Here's a super easy, quick and delicious smoothie my 9 year old daughter made this morning.

Ingredients

2/3 cup mango
handful almonds
1/3 cup plain yogurt
water to cover
pomegranates as garnish (optional)

Instructions

Place all ingredients in Nutribullet and cover with water. Blend for 90 seconds or desired thickness is reached.

Blueberry Banana Tofu Smoothie

This is my 7 year old son's go to smoothie. Have you ever tried soft tofu? It's great in smoothies. You can use the plain variety of a flavoured dessert type such as our mango-peach variety. It's great if you can't handle dairy (though you'd also have to sub out the yogurt too) but want the creamy quality dairy brings to smoothies. It also adds a few grams of protein to your breakfast or snack. Enjoy!

Makes 1 large or two small smoothies.

Ingredients

150g or about 1/2c soft tofu or a flavored dessert tofu (we used mango peach dessert tofu from Sunrise Soya Foods)
1/4 frozen blueberries
1/2 c yogurt
1/2 banana
1 cup water, juice or coconut water

Instructions

Place everything in blender or Nutribullet. Blend  for 90 seconds.

Pomegranate and Kale Smoothie

So fresh and filling!

Happy New Year! I know lots of us will be trying to eat healthier in the coming year. And for those of you enjoy smoothies I'll be sharing a few of my favorites over the coming weeks.

This is a great smoothie to start your morning. The ground almonds give you a bit of protein and energy and the kale and cucumber give it a fresh twist. The almonds and seeds will prevent you from getting a totally smooth liquid consistency but that goes toward filling you up to start your day. My seven year old loved this smoothie thanks to to added juice - I think it made it just sweet enough for him to enjoy.

Ingredients

1/2 c pomegranate seeds
1 cup chopped kale
2 tbsp ground almonds
2 inch piece of cucumber - skin on
2 tsp ginger juice or freshly grated ginger
1/4 c apple juice
1/4 c orange juice
water to cover

Instructions

Place everything in nutribullet and add enough water just to cover the ingredients. Blend for 90 seconds. Makes enough for 2 large or 3 small portions.