Breakfast Smoothies

No wonder smoothies have taken over breakfast: they’re fast, flavorful, and nutritious. Unfortunately, like muffins, they have also gotten supersized. So keep the servings within reason and use fat-free yogurt or skim milk.

How to Make a Smoothie
Here's how, put the ingredients in a blender in the order listed; blend until smooth. Each recipe makes one smoothie; any can be doubled or tripled, depending on your blender’s capacity. For a brighter taste, add 1⁄8 teaspoon salt. For a colder drink, start with an ice cube or two.

Banana Mango Smoothie

• 1 ripe banana, peeled and broken into pieces
• 1⁄2 cup chopped peeled pitted mango
• 1⁄4 cup yogurt (regular, plain, or fat-free)
• 1⁄4 cup orange juice
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1⁄8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Lemon Berry Smoothie

• 1⁄2 cup sliced fresh strawberries
• 1⁄2 cup lemon sherbet or sorbet
• 1⁄4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1⁄4 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

Banana Melon Smoothie

• 1 ripe banana, peeled and broken into chunks
• 3⁄4 cup chopped, peeled, seeded honeydew or cantaloupe
• 1⁄4 cup yogurt (regular, low-fat, or fat-free)
• 2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Fruit and Berry Smoothie

• 4 medium apricots, pitted and halved
• 4 hulled strawberries, sliced
• 1 cup yogurt (regular, low-fat, or fat-free)
• 1⁄4 cup white grape juice
• 1 tablespoon wheat germ

Peach Melba Smoothie

• 1 medium ripe peach, pitted and cut into wedges
• 1⁄2 cup vanilla frozen yogurt (regular, low-fat, or fat-free)
• 1⁄2 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1⁄8 teaspoon almond extract

Peanut Butter Smoothie

• 4 to 5 ice cubes
• 1 ripe banana, peeled and broken into chunks
• 1⁄2 cup milk (regular, low-fat, or fat-free)
• 1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1⁄8 teaspoon grated nutmeg

Strawberry Melon Protein Smoothie

• 6 hulled strawberries, sliced
• 3⁄4 cup peeled, seeded cantaloupe or honeydew chunks
• 1⁄3 cup pineapple juice
• 2 tablespoons unflavored protein powder

Chocolate Banana Protein Smoothie

• 3 ice cubes
• 1 ripe banana, peeled and broken into chunks
• 1 cup yogurt (regular, low-fat, or fat-free)
• 2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
• 2 tablespoons unflavored protein powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Savory Cucumber Smoothie

• 1⁄2 cup peeled, seeded, and chopped cucumber
• 1⁄2 cup blackberries
• 1⁄2 cup apple juice
• 3 torn basil leaves

Pear Smoothie

• 1 small ripe pear, peeled, cored, and roughly chopped
• 1 ripe banana, peeled and broken into chunks
• 1⁄3 cup white cranberry or white grape juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1⁄8 teaspoon almond extract