Summer Smoothies - Low in Calories, High In Nutrition and Kids Love 'Em

When you or your children want a summer drink, give' em kale!  I'm serious!  You can incorporate every nutritious fruit and veggie into smoothies,  and they can look and taste like a raspberry freeze or a banana/strawberry frosty.  All without sugar, artificial sweeteners or any other bad stuff.  In these examples I use a Magic Bullet because I love it, and it works wonderfully.   

1/2 cup blueberries, 3 or four cored strawberries, small handfull red raspberries, a couple of  kale leaves or several baby spinach leaves, and water.  That's all. No yogurt. You can add a sprinkle of flax seeds to increase the nutrition benefits. Layer the ingredients in the Magic Bullet mug.  I usually use the greens on top to press down the fruit, just because it is easier and less messy, and add a half teaspoon or so of seeds or nuts if allergies are not an issue, and a splash of tap water. With practice you will learn how thick or thin you want it. Screw the mug on top of the blade and onto the base, press down on the mug and in a few seconds you have a bright pink smoothie that can be refrigerated and that adults and kids will like, and more importantly, will drink and boost their immune systems .

If you have kids who would like a monster shake, use pineapple, banana, a few slices of a cored pear or apple, a few blueberries and some kale.  This will make a delicious green shake for those who find charm in green eggs in ham, or green beer and pancakes if they are somewhat older. 

You can use most any blender and any fruit combo that catches your fancy. Try watermelon, peaches and nectarines, peeled oranges or tangerines. Other greens? Try avocado, Swiss chard, mixed greens.  Avoid making a bigger batch than you plan to use in a short time, because if the drink sits, you lose vitamins.

I have purposely avoided adding yogurt for several reasons.  Much of it, even plain, low fat, has artificial sweeteners, it causes "belly bloat" in many adults, and any dairy can taste awful in just a little while in the summer heat. You certainly won't miss it, and the fruit, veggie nut and seed mix is the optimum anti-oxident energy combination.

One of these a day will be plenty, so although fresh fruits can be relatively expensive, nothing is more expensive than junk. The fat cells you or your kids make now will beg to be fed for the rest of your lives, even if you later lose weight. Did you know that if your optimum weight is 150 and you go up to 250, and later go back down to 150, you will never be able to consume as much food without adding pounds as the 150 pounder who has stayed there? You will metabolize calories differently forever once your body has carried and nourished those fat cells. Makes you think. I know I am pretty well consigned to a life of lettuce.