Smoothies are the equivalent of the archetypal Nice Guy in John Hughes films. He’s been there all along, but you haven’t given him a chance. Give this smoothie a chance, and it will give you brighter skin and a tighter body.
In honour of my favourite Bond girl with beautiful skin and a rockin’ bod, behold the Honey Rider Smoothie:
Ingredients:
1/3 of a banana, chopped
1/4 cup of strawberries
1/4 cup of mango
1/4 cup of spinach
1/4 cup yogurt (This can be any kind of yogurt. I like the Splenda sweetened, fat-free Yoplait Source vanilla yogurt, but I also like Liberté yogurt, whether it’s sweetened with honey, strawberry, or whatever you find is good for the soul).
1/4 cup of Natrel lactose-free skim milk
1.) Chop the bananas and measure with cups, or guesstimate, throw it in your blender or Magic Bullet.
2.) Measure or guesstimate the strawberries and mangos, throw it in.
3.) Add the spinach.
4.) Add the yogurt.
5.) Add milk.
6.) Add water, if necessary, to thin the smoothie.
Last, I’d like to share some tips for preserving your bananas and sparing them from a lonely death by rotting on your counter while you fall asleep in class. Chop the bananas into small pieces and put them in freezer bags. Do this with the strawberry and mango as well, or buy the bags that include frozen fruit mixes. One banana packs 358 mg of potassium, and 20 per cent of your daily recommended quantity of vitamin B-6, and 14 per cent of your daily recommended vitamin C.
And guess what, you can freeze spinach and other greens. When I’ve had so much salad that I never want to see it again, I throw my greens in plastic containers or freezer bags and add it to smoothies later. Typically, if you add more than half of a cup, you will taste it. Just an FYI for those who don’t want to drink liquid spinach.
Also, less than a cup of spinach packs nine per cent of your daily recommended calcium, 46 per cent for vitamin C, 15 percent for iron, 19 per cent for magnesium, and my favourite value, 187 per cent of your daily recommended vitamin A. You know what vitamin A does? It keeps your skin glowing and prevents wrinkles. Now that’s something I think everyone can get behind.
-@kristencochrane
