Smoothie Sailing

Want to beat the heat, improve your nutritional consumption and cut down on fat, all at the same time? Consider adding homemade smoothies to your diet. All you need is an inexpensive blender and some imagination.

"You can use canned fruit, you can use fresh fruit," said Mary Wilson, a registered dietitian and extension nutrition specialist with the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension. "Frozen fruit works really well if you buy the stuff that doesn't have sugar added to it. A lot of times I'll buy it frozen at Trader Joe's, because they're so cheap."

Got some bananas that are starting to get a little too ripe? Put them in a plastic bag, freeze them and use them for smoothies, Wilson said, adding that she freezes other kinds of leftover fruit as well. (Since you'll be pureeing it, it doesn't matter if the freezing process makes the fruit a little mushy.) And a banana that's a little overripe can add extra sweetness to the smoothie, she said, although artificial sweeteners, sugar or honey can be used as well. Wilson said sometimes she'll add a capful of vanilla extract for extra flavor; other possibilities are almond extract for a hint of cherry flavor, or maple extract or a fruit-flavored extract for more concentrated fruit flavor.

If using canned fruit, she said, buy fruit that's packed in its own juice or drain the syrup off and rinse the fruit before using it to get rid of extra sugar, instead of buying the more expensive no-sugar-added fruit.

''I've blended up oranges and bananas," Wilson said. "Did cantaloupe -- not bad. I did Jell-O. You can put that in there with your smoothie and make a cherry smoothie or whatever. I used to do a lot of pineapple smoothies; those were always my favorite -- crushed pineapple, just about any fruit, nonfat yogurt or milk, crushed ice and a little sprinkle of sweetener. It makes this huge blenderful, but if I'm really thirsty it's a great big amount to drink, only getting one fruit and a milk as far as calories are concerned, and it's very healthy that way and very filling," although any leftovers could be refrigerated.

"I've done all sorts of smoothies," Wilson said.

So has Libby Lovig, registered dietitian and Nevada spokeswoman for the Dairy Council of Utah/Nevada. Lovig said she has a smoothie every morning. She combines a cup of nonfat milk, a little bit of whey powder (to increase her protein intake and help build lean muscle mass), a half-carton of fruit-flavored nonfat yogurt, half of a banana, a half-cup of berries or other fruit in season and some ice cubes.

"And blend it all up," she said. "It's easy and affordable on top of all that."

Which not all smoothies are -- specifically some commercial preparations, which, Wilson noted, tend to be expensive.

And if you're buying at a smoothie bar take care because you might accidentally order a weight-gain smoothie, which is fine if you're trying to gain weight but not so much if you're not.

More and more bottled smoothies also are available at supermarkets and convenience stores.

"The majority, I've found, are not necessarily high in fat, but they did have a lot of sugar," Wilson said. "It's a lot of calories in a small amount; that was the thing that caught me off-guard. People are looking for something like a milkshake, not a 6-ounce container. Drinking two or three of them after school, that probably wouldn't be a great idea. Smoothies have become more popular, and it's important to pay attention to the calories."

"You have to be a little bit careful," Lovig agreed. "Some of the fast-food restaurants have them that aren't quite as healthy; some of them are quite healthy.

"I like homemade. You know everything that goes into it, you know that it's fresh."

Lovig and Wilson agreed that smoothies are a great way to increase calcium intake. If you'd prefer a nondairy smoothie, Wilson said, calcium-fortified orange juice can provide that nutrient.

"With skim milk, lowfat yogurt and ice, it's a low-fat alternative to a high-fat milkshake or latte," Lovig said. The fruit in a smoothie goes toward the five-a-day recommendation, she added, and the dairy toward the three-a-day guideline.

And they both pointed out that kids love smoothies.

"Kids like to make their own smoothies," Lovig said. "If you let them have some input -- fruit, flavors, yogurt -- and let them help make it, they tend to like it even better. What a great way to cool them off."

Wilson said they're a good alternative to "greasy fries or a soda" as an after-school snack.

"At least they're getting some good nutrition from the fruit and the milk," she said. "Maybe some of them don't turn out so good, but kids get to experiment.

"You can't really go too wrong."

NONDAIRY FRUIT

SMOOTHIE

2 cups calcium-fortified orange juice

1 medium, very ripe banana

1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup ice

Place ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.

Makes four 1-cup servings, with 98 calories and 156 milligrams of calcium per serving.

-- Recipe from Nevada Cooperative Extension

FAST FRUIT SMOOTHIE

1 1/3 cups nonfat milk

1 1/3 cups low-fat vanilla frozen yogurt

1 1/3 cups canned fruit of your choice (such as pineapple, peaches, blueberries)

Place ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.

Makes four 1-cup servings, with 190 calories and 258 milligrams of calcium per serving.

-- Recipe from Nevada Cooperative Extension

CHOCOLATE PEANUT

BUTTER SMOOTHIE

3 cups nonfat milk

2 tablespoons chocolate syrup

4 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

1 cup low-fat vanilla frozen yogurt

Place ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.

Makes four 1-cup servings, with 269 calories and 331 milligrams of calcium per serving.

-- Recipe from the National Dairy Council

APPLE PIE IN A GLASS

3 cups nonfat milk

6 tablespoons frozen apple juice concentrate

1 cup low-fat vanilla frozen yogurt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Place ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.

Makes four 1-cup servings, with 193 calories and 332 milligrams of calcium per serving.

-- Recipe from the National Dairy Council

STRAWBERRY

BANANA SMOOTHIE

11/2 cups 1 percent lowfat milk

1 pint lowfat vanilla yogurt

2 ripe bananas, peeled, sliced

11/4 cups sliced strawberries

2 tablespoons honey

12-14 ice cubes

Additional strawberries and banana for garnish, if desired

In blender jar, combine milk, yogurt, bananas, strawberries and honey; add enough ice to measure 6 cups in blender. Process until smooth, scraping sides as necessary. Garnish each serving with strawberry slice and fresh mint, if desired.

Makes 5 1-cup servings with 196 calories and 268 milligrams of calcium per serving.

-- Recipe from the National Dairy Council

POMEGRANATE SMOOTHIE

1 banana

2 cups fat-free vanilla yogurt

1 cup pomegranate juice

Pomegranate seeds (optional)

1 tablespoon coarse sugar (optional)

Wrap peeled banana in plastic wrap and freeze 3 hours, or until frozen.

Unwrap banana, break into chunks and place in a blender with the yogurt and juice. Cover and blend until smooth; pour into 4 glasses to serve. Top with pomegranate seeds, if desired.

Serving tip: Before serving, wet edge of glass and dip into coarse sugar for decorative edge.

Serves 4, with 170 calories per serving.

-- Recipe from the National Dairy Council

CHOCOLATE BANANA

SOY SMOOTHIE

1 cup soymilk (plain or vanilla)

1/2 medium banana (may be frozen, if desired)

2 tablespoons chocolate syrup

Puree all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Pour into a glass and serve at once.

Serves 1, with 266 calories per serving.

-- Recipe from The Soyfood Council

RASPBERRY SMOOTHIE

1 cup raspberries

1 6-ounce carton raspberry soy yogurt

1/2 cup cranberry-raspberry juice

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Pour into a glass and serve at once.

Serves 1, with 177 calories per serving.

VANILLA-DATE

BREAKFAST SMOOTHIE

1 cup nonfat yogurt

1 cup nonfat milk

1 cup (packed) pitted Medjool dates (about 9 ounces)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups ice cubes

Puree yogurt, milk, dates and vanilla in blender until smooth. Add ice cubes; puree until mixture is thick and smooth. Divide between 2 glasses and serve.

Serves 2, with 338 calories per serving.

-- Recipe from Bon Appetit magazine

Contact reporter Heidi Knapp Rinella at hrinella@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0474.