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Chipper Snacks: Quick and Easy Fruit Smoothie

August 7, 2012 at 3:30 pm 2 comments

Are you Chipper for fruit? Fruit is full of nutrients and a fruit smoothie is a delicious way to incorporate fruit into your daily diet. With smoothies, you and your kids are getting all the benefits of whole fruit in a drinkable form. Smoothies are quick and easy to make before you go to bed or in the morning before work and school. Increase the health benefits of a fruit smoothie by adding milk, yogurt or even a few vegetables. A fruit smoothie will curb your sweet tooth in a healthy way, reducing the risk of overeating or indulging in unhealthy sweets. Since many fruits are full of fiber, they improve your digestive regularity and keep you feeling fuller longer!

Fruit is full of various vitamins and minerals. Fruit is high in vitamin C, vitamin A, B vitamins and folic acid. Smoothies are also a good way to sneak in healthy fruit or veggies that you or the little ones may not like! Just cover up the taste with other fruits! Many fruits and berries that taste great in a smoothy are full of antioxidants.

According to the National Cancer Institute, antioxidants stabilize free radicals to keep them from interacting with healthy cells. Antioxidants include vitamin C found in citrus fruits and berries, beta-carotene found in cantaloupe and mangoes, and lycopene in watermelon, apricots, pink grapefruit and blood oranges. Add any of these fruits to your smoothie for a burst of antioxidant power.

Here’s just one recipe combination to try out! Worried your fruit will go bad before getting into the blender? Bag it and freeze it! Even if you have a entire watermelon, just cut it into chunks, pop it in a freezer-safe bag, and just throw them into your next smoothy!

INGREDIENTS:

- 1 ripe banana

- 1 cup strawberries

- 2 ripe peaches

- 3/4 cup milk

- 8oz. Vanilla yogurt

Peel banana. Wash and dry strawberries and peaches. Cut the fruit into thin slices. Add the milk and yogurt and process in a blender until smooth. Divide among three glasses or save some in the fridge for tomorrow and ENJOY!

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