For those who are just getting started, here are some tips on how to make smoothies at home.

You don’t need an expensive blender – I have tested 12-15 different types of smoothie blenders, including a Blendtec, and although some of the less expensive smoothie blenders and smoothie mixers do not work very well, my
Oster 12-Speed Osterizer Blender with Glass Jar does the trick very nicely. This blender sells between $50-60. It actually beats my $400 Blendtec for smoothies. I prefer the glass jars as they seem to be more sturdy, easy to clean, and the blenders seem to work better.

Smoothie Blenders don't have to be expensiveSmoothie Blenders don't have to be expensive, but you do need to get a good quality smoothie mixer or smoothie blender in order to avoid ice or fruit chunks.

Begin with fruits and / or vegetables that you enjoy. Favorite smoothies are made with strawberries, raspberries, bananas, pears, apples, blueberries, mangoes, and other fruits. You don’t need to make it fancy or include all of the fruits, just the ones you like and mix and match them.

Many people will add protein powder or low-fat yogurt to their smoothies, or even ice cream (but that adds a lot of calories as well as sugar to your smoothie.) Smoothies can help you lose weight, have more energy and are a great meal replacement.

Wash your fruit well, peal bananas, and remove hard skins. You may wish to leave the skin on peaches or pears – there is no problem with doing this, just make sure you wash them well – and remove the seed/pits inside.

Most blenders do better if you cut the fruit up a bit before blending, and if you are using any frozen fruits, make sure to add enough liquid for your smoothie blender to liquify everything well.

Place all of your ingredients in the smoothie blender, add ice and liquid (water, milk, orange juice, apple juice or other liquid) and blend. It’s really not hard learning how to make smoothies at home, and can be quite fun. Just experiment a little. Fruit combinations can be really enjoyable and you can even add a bit of honey, sugar, or other sweetener if your fruit is too tart. Using fresh fruits in season do create better flavored smoothies, but frozen fruits work as well.

Learn how to make smoothies at home and save money.

Here is a strawberry vanilla smoothie I made today (I took a photo with my iPhone to share with you – and added just a little embellishing to make it look great!):

Strawberry Vanilla Smoothie

1 cup fresh strawberries
1 ripe banana
1/2 cup raspberries, blueberries
1 cup orange juice
1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
1/4 tsp pure vanilla flavoring
2 cups ice
1 cup water

I put everything in my blender, and let it run. Delicious, refreshing, and very low in calories. I calculated that each serving is between 180-200 calories (depending on the protein powder.) This recipe makes 2-3 servings.

Take some time to learn how to make smoothies at home, and lose weight, feel better, save money and know you are adding nutrients to your diet.

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Orange Banana Green Smoothie

Orange Banana Green Smoothie

1 ripe banana
1 scoop strawberry flavored protein powder
1 cup orange juice
3 cups spinach (I like organic baby spinach)
1-2 cups ice
1 cup water (best to use filtered water)

Put everything in your smoothie blender and blend until smooth.

Drinking green smoothies is a great way to lose weight and feel better, have more energy and provide your body with essential nutrients.

Play around with making green smoothies. Once you learn about the flavors you like, you can make unlimited variations.

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Spinach is a popular ingredient used in green smoothies.

Vegetarians, vegans, and raw foodists have been making green smoothies for years, but now they are making their way into the main stream population. Why? Well, it starts with the health benefits of green vegetables. Leafy green vegetables contain tons of nutrients and vital minerals for good health. They are also low on the glycemic scale which makes them a very healthy choice for diabetics as well as those trying to lose weight.

Green smoothies are not only healthy, but also a very easy and tasty way to get those added nutrients, chlorophyll and enzymes. Chlorophyll, as well as enzymes, help to fight disease as well as cancer. And enzymes are necessary for proper digestion and metobolizing processes in the body.

Popular green smoothies may include the following:

• Spinach
• Kale
• Celery
• Parsley
• Sprouts
• Cucumbers
• Carrots
• Lemons
• Limes
• Ginger or cinnamon
• Additional fruits (adds flavor, but also natural sugars)

Many people will go on green juice or green smoothie fasts or cleanses – to help their systems become more alkaline or to lose weight. Try out a green smoothie and you’ll see why green smoothies are become more popular as time goes by.

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Banana Smoothies are delicious and very popular.

This healthy banana smoothie is very much like ice cream, but is a great way to cut out calories and extra sugars.

Banana Smoothie
1 cup milk (or soy milk)
2 frozen bananas (using frozen bananas make the texture more creamy)
1 scoop vanilla or chocolate protein powder
Dash of cinnamon
1 cup ice (optional)

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1 apple (you may leave the skin on for more nutrients, but make sure to wash thoroughly)
1 cup peaches (fresh or frozen). You may also substitute mangoes, nectarines or papaya
1 cup strawberries (fresh or frozen)
1 banana
1 cup orange juice (or water)
2-3 cups fresh spinach
2-3 cups kale
2 cups ice

Blend and enjoy!

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What is your favorite smoothie flavor?

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The beauty of fruit smoothie recipes is that you can edit or customize them according to your personal preferences. Simply replace one ingredient with another.

Fruit smoothie recipes

We thought we’d get you started by sharing a few of our favorite fruit smoothie recipes:

Blackberry Smoothie
2 cups frozen or fresh blackberries, 2 cups plain yogurt, 1 banana, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 3 cups water or milk, ice cubes

Strawberry Vanilla Smoothie
2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries, 1 banana, 2 peaches (fresh or frozen), 1/2 cup orange juice concentrate, 12 oz vanilla yogurt, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 3 cups water, ice cubes

Strawberry Kiwi Smoothie
2 Kiwi, 1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries, 1/2 banana, 8 oz pineapple juice, ice cubes, and 1-2 cups water.

Pineapple Smoothie
2 cups crushed or sliced pineapple (fresh or canned), 1 cup strawberries, 1 cup vanilla yogurt, 2 cups milk, 1 cup apple juice, 3 tsp honey, ice cubes

Peach Orange Smoothie
2 peaches (sliced, with skin removed), 1 banana (extra ripe for more sweet flavor), 2 cups orange juice, 1 cup vanilla yogurt, 1 cup water, ice cubes

Raspberry Banana Smoothie
1 cup fresh raspberries, 1 banana, 1 cup vanilla yogurt, 2 cups water, ice cubes

Enjoy these fruit smoothie recipes and please feel free to share your favorite recipes with us.

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Freeze fruits when they are in season to make frozen fruit smoothies later.

Some people will take the final weeks of a season, to take advantage of the still low-prices, and freeze their own fruits. Make sure you wash and cut up your fruit into small pieces (easier to break apart and add to a smoothie). I like to freeze fruits in small freezer bags – so one serving is in each bag. It makes it easy to just add the fruit, rather than trying to break apart fruit chunks if they get frozen to each other.

If your frozen fruit smoothies taste a little bit tart – you may consider adding a bit of honey, or agave, or other natural sweetener. Adding a bit of flavored protein powder also may help keep those frozen fruit smoothies a little on the sweeter side.

You can make any of our fruit smoothie recipes using frozen fruits. Just substitute the fresh ingredients with frozen.

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Green leafy vegetables contain tons of nutrients and antioxidants for better health, but most people either do not like vegetables, or do not get enough of them in our normal diets. Blending up greens into a smoothie not only can taste delicious but also provide those essential nutrients easily into our systems.

Enjoy green smoothies for more energy and better health.

The chlorophyll contained in greens will provide oxygen to your cells and place your body into a more alkaline state, where optimal health can be achieved. Good nutrition can lead to feeling better, having more energy, gaining a better outlook of life and simply having better health.

After several weeks drinking green smoothies, you may notice a change in your skin – including fewer blemishes, a more radiant glow and healthier tone. The reason is that the skin responds to what we eat and if we have good health our skin looks better – not having to dump toxins out through the skin as we take in unhealthy food choices.

Major benefits of green smoothies include more energy and weight loss!

Green smoothies can also taste delicious. Use a base of fruit (pears, apples, or bananas work well), and then simply add in your leafy greens. Note: Adding blackberries or blueberries help to mask the green color and kids love it – without even knowing they are eating their vegetables.

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