Her Campus Leeds: Smart Smoothies

It’s not easy hitting that 5-a-day target
, and even though you may have had a health related epiphany in Sainsburys and bought half of their fresh fruit selection, you probably won’t get around to eating it. Companies like Innocent and Coldpress know this, and they offer you the ease of one or two of your five a day in bottled smoothie form for just under £2.00.  For the price of 5 ready made smoothies, you could be investing in a blender and whizzing those not-so-appealing-now-they’re-in-my-house fruits into something healthy and delicious. You’ll never have to skip breakfast again.

1. The Pink One
1 Cup of frozen mixed berries

1 Cup of natural yoghurt

1 Handful of porridge oats
1 Tablespoon of honey
Blend together, add a drop of milk to thin the liquid if required.

Berries, frozen or fresh are rich in antioxidants, particularly good for giving you radiant skin and healthy hair. Natural yoghurt contains healthy bacteria, great for your digestive system and contains 9 amino acids which makes it a great source of protein and of course calcium. Porridge oats will make this one a little more substantial and will provide you with slow release energy. Add honey to sweeten, it’s antibacterial, anti fungal too!

2. The Beige One 

2 Bananas

1 Heaped tablespoon of peanut butter

1 generous cup of milk 

2 Teaspoons of honey
Break the banana into chunks, add milk first and then add other ingredients, blend together. 

High in potassium and a great source of fibre, bananas can also aid the absorption of calcium, which is found in milk. Milk is an unsung health hero and is great for your teeth, bones and muscles. Peanut butter may seem indulgent, but it is a combination of fibre and protein which will keep you fuller for longer and prevent snacking later in the day. 

3. The Orange One

1 Whole orange

1 Half thumb sized piece of ginger

1/2 tin of crushed pineapple in juice, or a cup of fresh.

1 Teaspoon of honey

Chop the orange into chunks, leaving the skin on as that’s where nutrients are often hiding. Peel and chop the ginger and save the rest of the pineapple in the fridge. Add everything and blend.

Oranges are packed with beta carotene which protects against cell damage and can prevent signs of ageing. Ginger is a food you don’t need to consume much of the reap the benefits; it can help rid colds and sooth digestion. Pineapple is rich in bromine which can work to neutralise fluids, making them less acidic which aids digestion. 

4. The Green One

4 cubes of frozen spinach/two large handfuls of fresh

1 Large green apple/two smaller ones

Half tin of pineapple

1 Banana

Chop the apple into quarters, leaving the skin on. Add everything to the blender with a couple of ice cubes or a drop of water and the rest of the ingredients and blend. Lime optional.

Green juices can be quite intimidating; but leaves like spinach and kale are abundant in health benefits, the balance of vitamins and minerals make spinach brilliant for repairing dry skin and improving your complexion. Green apples will make this smoothie tangy, sweet, add fibre and lots of blood purifying minerals. 

 Adding a carton or can of coconut water to any of these smoothies will make them even more hydrating and make them go further. Although not included in all recipes, you can add honey by the teaspoon to any of these to sweeten slightly or a few ice cubes to keep everything cold. Each recipe will provide just over a pint of liquid- store any excess in clean jars in the fridge for the next day, just shake, unscrew the lid and take it with you if you’re in a rush!

Originally written for Her Campus Leeds