INGREDIENTS

  • 10 to 12 medium-sized fresh strawberries
  • 1 cup vanilla extract
  • 1 medium-sized apple
  • 1/2 banana
  • 1/2 cup low-fat milk
  • 5 ice cubes
  • 1 tablespoon crushed almonds
  • 1 teaspoon hemp seeds
  • 3 teaspoons sugar

This simple strawberry smoothie is a great drink that can be a great nutritional substitute for lunch or dinner. It can also serve as a refreshing breakfast that can keep you nourished till lunchtime. You can enjoy it with friends as a chilled dessert drink or surprise the kids by topping it with crunchy chocolate chips.

DIRECTIONS

  1. Wash the strawberries and remove their hulls. Drain the water and chop into pieces for faster blending. Add the pieces into a medium-sized bowl.
  2. Peel and dice the banana into medium-sized pieces. Use a ripe banana to make the smoothie more delicious. Add the pieces into the bowl along with vanilla extract and low-fat milk.
  3. Peel the apple and dice into small pieces. Add the pieces into the bowl and mix everything with a spoon. Add almonds, ice cubes, and sugar to the mixture. Set aside the mixture for 5 minutes before transferring into a blender.

  1. Use a high-powered blender for getting a smooth and creamy consistency. Blend until the fruits are well pureed.  Taste your smoothie before transferring into glasses. Adjust the ingredients if needed and blend again.
  2. Serve into large glasses and garnish with hemp seeds. Enjoy the drink when it is fresh. Also, you can refrigerate it for later use.

TIPS

  • Use frozen strawberries instead of fresh ones to make the smoothie thicker and more nutritious.
  • To enhance the nutritional value of your preparation replace sugar with cherries. This would enrich your smoothie with more Vitamin C. Alternatively you can use ripe grapes or pineapples. If you are using pineapples replace low-fat milk with non-dairy milk.