Friday Drinks and Frozen Day♥♥

With the weather getting warmer  and warmer everyday, I think we could all agree that we need something that will cool us off and keep us feeling refresh. Since it is Summer, I am making a seasonal post just for the Summer season and this will happen on Fridays. I am calling it Friday Drinks and Frozen Day 🙂 The post will mostly be about Summer drinks and frozen treats to keep up cool and comfy during the Summer season. If it is not Summer where you are right now, do not worry because you can always go back and search for these recipes whenever Summer arrives in your area or you are just feeling to get chilled. Some of the drinks that I am sharing here can be made any day of the year, i say bring the ice cream out on Winter 🙂

Keep yourself cool and refers with this Blueberry Banana Smoothie. Make it for breakfast as smoothie bowl, pack it for pre and post workout drink, or just enjoy it anytime of the day. It is a great way to cool you off, it is delicious and kind of scream “it’s Summer!”. Here are few other reason why you should add more Blueberry in you smoothie and food.

Health Benefits of Blueberry

• Blueberries Are Low in Calories But High in Nutrients
• BLueberries are the King of Antioxidant Foods
• Blueberries Reduce DNA Damage, Which May Help Protect Against Aging and Cancer
• Blueberries Protect Cholesterol in Your Blood From Becoming Damaged
• Blueberries May Lower Blood Pressure
• Blueberries May Help Prevent Heart Disease
• Blueberries Can Help Maintain Brain Function and Improve Memory
• Anthocyanins in Blueberries May Have Anti-Diabetes Effects
• May Help Fight Urinary Tract Infections
• Blueberries May Reduce Muscle Damage After Strenuous Exercise

Source: https://www.healthline.com

Bring it on! The heat is slowly coming, and what better way to keep refresh and cool by by sipping this super easy to make Blueberry Banana Smoothie. I had been making my smoothie almost every week, and although I can easily get one from cafes and juice stand, I always prefer making my own at home. This Blueberry Banana Smoothie is as easy as making any smoothie, it’s ready in 5 minutes! Well you might think 5 minutes is too fast, but not really. If you make a bulk prep for your smoothie, pack them in a ziplock bag with all the fruits and vegetables you like your smoothie to have and freeze them,  then all you have to do when you are ready to make it is to grab it from the freezer, transfer it in the blender, and liquid then blend until smooth. That easy! Smoothie for breakfast or for snack is possible in 5 minutes! Give it a try!

Do’s and Don’t of Making Breakfast Smoothie

Breakfast smoothie are great grab and go quick breakfast option, until you get the chance to sit down and eat proper breakfast. It can be as delicious and nutritious as any solid breakfast food, but it is also easy to sabotage it and turn it into a high calorie sugar loaded breakfast drink. To avoid getting to that route, here are some tips to get a delicious and nutritious breakfast smoothie. After all, what is the point of having a breakfast smoothie when what you are getting is a high sugar loaded breakfast drink?

Measure it out

It is so easy to get carried away and just throw everything in the blender, right? I’m guilty of that too. But although that is probably the fastest and easiest way to make smoothie, that could also be dangerous as you might end up with a breakfast drink that has more calories and even less healthy than a normal solid breakfast. Measuring the ingredients also give you a consistent and delicious and most of all nutritious smoothie.

DON’T: Throw everything into the blender.

DO: Measure your ingredients. Best way and efficient way to do this to have them in packs and keep it in the freezer or refrigerator until ready to use. This way, you only must measure the liquid and sweetener when you out it in the blender.

Think about liquid

There are variety of choices when it comes to the kind of liquid that you can use for smoothie. The addition of liquid is very important in making smoothie as it helps blend the ingredients easily. If you care about drinking a healthier smoothie that is not loaded with sugar, then use low calorie, reduced sugar or sugar free liquid. Fruit juices are usually high in sugar, unless you can find sugar free one.

DON’T: Add fruit juice.

DO: Use Greek yogurt or coconut milk or almond milk or even coconut water

Play with protein

Looking for ways to get more protein in your smoothie? Although there are tons of protein powder available for smoothie, using an ingredient with natural protein is still the best way to go. I do not have anything against protein powder, but for me natural is always the best way if you can go that way. Aim for a protein intake in your breakfast smoothie of about 15 to 30 grams, depending on your size and activity level.

DON’T: Pour in protein powder.

DO: Try nut butters, flax seeds, or tofu.

Too much fruit

If you are drinking smoothie for a healthy option snack or meal, do not go overboard with using too much fruit. Use a balance choice of fruits, about 1.5 cups of fruit per smoothie. And go for options that are high in fiber and antioxidants, such as berries rather than fruits that are high in sugar.

DON’T: Use less high sugar fruits

DO: Use high fiber and antioxidants fruits

Go green

Feeling like going green? If you are one of those people who like green smoothie, then go for it. But since green leafy vegetables tend to be bitter, try to use a milder green leafy vegetable and a mix of different others. Kale is not the only one that you can use, using a stronger green vegetable will most likely drive you to add more sweetener to remove the bitter taste. mix and match, and do not be restricted to one type of vegetable.

DON’T: Reach straight for kale.

DO: Start with spinach.

Source: www.cookinglight.com

This post is NOT to encourage anyone to make smoothie as meal replacement. Make and drink your smoothie according to your preference and health condition.

Tips for a Creamy Smoothie

This smoothie is so easy to make, it’s so creamy, so delicious and so refreshing. Here’s a few tips to guarantee a delicious creamy smoothie

• Frozen Fruits – this is key to making a smooth and creamy smoothie. Frozen fruits makes the smoothie creamy and smooth and will not require use of crashed ice. This makes the smooth pure of fruits and less water from ice. Have the fruit in the freezer at least overnight. You can also use fresh Blueberry if you do not link drinking cold drinks in the morning. The consistency will be slightly more liquid, adjust more Blueberry to get to a thicker consistency.
• No Ice Please – When you use frozen fruits, that already eliminates the need to use ice. Less water means more pure creamy smoothie.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 large frozen Banana (about 85g)
• 1/2 cup frozen Blueberry (about 110g)
• 1 tablespoon Honey ( or any sweetener of your choice)
• 1/4 cup Frozen Greek Yogurt (or cold yogurt if you do not have time to freeze it)
• 3/4 cup Milk ( any regular full fat or skim milk, Almond milk, soy milk or coconut milk)

Instructions:

Add milk, yogurt, banana, blueberry, and sweetener in a blender. Make sure to add the milk first so that it blends easily. Blend until smooth and thick. Adjust sweetness as desired. Transfer in a serving glass and garnish with toppings of your choice. I added slices of banana and fresh blueberry on top.

Serves 1

Nutritional Information

Nutritional Information was calculated using Veryfitwell Recipe Calorie and Nutrition Calculator. For details about Nutritional Information in this website, please read the Disclaimer page.

Note: Nutrition calculation will change depending on types of milk used to make this recipe. The calculation uses skim milk.

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