Fruit Smoothies

Don't let a busy schedule sabotage your diet. There are plenty of convenient, performance-enhancing snacks that are easy to eat on the run. Here's how the best foods stack up.

Fruit smoothies
Smoothies made with fresh fruit are a great way of meeting your five-a-day target for fruit and vegetables. Avoid the ready-bought versions that contain added sugar and artificial additives. The best option is to make your own by whizzing fresh fruit (such as berries, bananas and pears) with a little fruit juice or yoghurt. Smoothies are packed with beta-carotene, vitamin C, phytonutrients and because you whizz up the whole fruit, fibre too. Have one for breakfast, as a snack or as a refreshing post-workout drink.

Banana and strawberry smoothie
If you are looking for an alternative way to eat bananas, mix them, with some strawberries or other fresh or frozen berries in a delicious smoothie. This provides a balanced combination of protein and carbohydrate, which makes it a near perfect-post workout drink. Strawberries are packed with vitamin C - just seven strawberries contain your daily requirement (60mg) as well as other powerful antioxidants.

Ingredients
About 6 ice cubes
225g of ripe strawberries
A banana
250ml or 2 x 125 ml pots of low-fat natural yoghurt
90ml of skimmed milk
a teaspoon vanilla extract

Place the ice in the goblet of a smoothie maker, blender or food processor and process until slushy. Add the strawberries, bana yoghurt, milk and vanilla, and process until smooth. Chill in the fridge or drink immediately. Makes two drink.

August 2004