Going bananas for smoothies

So we're just about one month in to our new "healthy eating" regime, and I thought I'd share with you one of the secret weapons that is helping us get our daily dose of fruits: smoothies.

What I love about smoothies - aside from how simple they are to make - is that I can whip one up in the morning and my daughter can sip it on her way to school. And she loves to help make them, so it is a fun thing for us to do together. They are also great to make for a mid-afternoon snack because you can drink it and not feel too full to work out.

We're making so many smoothies at our house that my little Magic Bullet is practically smoking! I love that gadget - not only does it keep me from having to pull out the big, clunky blender (which is a nuisance to clean), it whips up a smoothie in seconds flat and plows through frozen fruit like nobody's business.

Here's our favorite so far:

(Ingredient quantities are eyeballed based on the Magic Bullet canister - you may have to adjust based on your blender)

Berry Banana Smoothie
1/2 C frozen berries (we alternate between strawberries and mixed berries)
1/2 frozen banana, cut into chunks (I break the bananas in half before freezing, which makes it easier to portion out)
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 T honey
1 C orange juice (again, this is an approximate measurement; I typically add enough orange juice to cover everything, then add more if it seems like it is too thick)

Put all the ingredients into the blender, process, and enjoy the fact that you’re getting three servings of fruit in something so tasty!

I was talking smoothies with my mom this morning and she gave me the following recipe, claiming it was fantastic. I’m a little nervous to try it given the green ingredients, but she swears it tastes like a citrus smoothie, not some weird vegetable muck. Maybe someone in cyberworld is brave enough to give this a go… if so, shoot me a note and let me know what you think!

Green Smoothie
1 frozen banana, cut in chunks
1/2 C frozen fruit (mango, strawberries, whatever you prefer)
Handful of spinach or lettuce, whatever you have on hand
1 celery stalk, diced
1/3 cucumber, sliced
1/3 C orange juice
1-2 T honey
1 T lemon juice
1 C water

Put all the ingredients into the blender and process. Allegedly this makes enough to fill a quart-sized canning jar, which my mom says she divides up for three servings during the day.

I may try making this one with a few modifications – leave out the celery (just not a fan) and up the amount of frozen fruit to further camouflage the green stuff. I’ll keep you posted, but in the meantime, if anyone has any good smoothie recipes to share, please let me know!