Homemade Healthy Yogurt Berry Smoothie
Staying on track with healthy eating during the holidays can be tough, but smoothies are a great way to keep your diet in check during the holiday season and nourish your body with stuff thats good and good for you! Drinking a smoothie in between meals helps me stay full throughout the day and keeps me from snacking. They are also an easy way to add extra fruit into your diet. This is one of my favorite smoothies that I keep in constant rotation. Loaded with tons of protein to keep you full throughout the day, this smoothie is a great on the go breakfast or midday snack. All you need is some frozen or fresh bananas, blueberries, blackberries, Greek yogurt, and soy milk to get a perfectly creamy, thick consistency.
Whats even better is that this smoothie contains no added sugar! It gets its natural sweetness from the bananas and berries.
This Yogurt Berry Smoothie recipe is quick, easy and super healthy because its loaded with fiber, vitamins and protein. This smoothie is gluten-free and has only 5 ingredients!
Add A Scoop Of Raw Oats Or Chia Seeds
A handful of oats can add thickness to your smoothie while also adding in some extra protein and fiber! I love tossing in some oats in this peach cobbler smoothie. You dont need to cook them, just add them in raw! Adding in a tablespoon of chia seeds will add healthy fats that also make your smoothie thicker! Theyre a natural thickener. This can be especially helpful if youre not eating your smoothie right away. After just a few minutes, the chia will start to absorb liquid from the smoothie, and the seeds will expand, creating a thicker texture.
Should You Rest Your Smoothies
Letting a smoothie sit tends to make it less frothy, but some smoothies willseparate quickly. For example, almost every green smoothie separates into a layer of green juice atop a chunky greenmixture after a few minutes.
Others fare better from resting. Anything with a lot of light or frothyingredients, or a lot of air whipped up into them, applies.
If youre in a rush, prepare the ingredients beforehand by chopping andmeasuring them. Start only when youre ready to eat! You can store ingredientsor even storesmoothies overnight in the fridge, if youre preparing for an earlymorning!
A thick smoothie can last in the fridge up to 24 hours while retaining itsflavor and texture. Thinner smoothies may separate before then. We prefer todrink immediately, though grabbing a drink prepared the night before is almostas good. To store a smoothie in the fridge, pour it into a tightly sealedcontainer such as a Mason jar. Unless you have a tight, screw-on lid for yourblender bottle, dont botheryoull get better flavor and have an easiertime cleaning up if you store it in something else.
In a pinch, you can put plastic wrap over the top of a glass.
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How Do You Substitute Yogurt In Smoothies
Traditionally, a smoothie combines fruits, veggies, or other ingredients and thickening agents. The thickening agents can be yogurt, heavy cream, ice, or other elements that a smoothie has, but an ice slushie doesnt.
It is also what makes a smoothie, well, smooth and creamy. But if you choose to leave out the yogurt, here are some ways to make one without it:
How To Hull Strawberries:
The hull is the green leafy cap at the top of a strawberry. We hull strawberries to keep the color consistent in the smoothie. Hulling a strawberry is easy using a small pairing knife, make a circular cut around the top, aiming towards the center to remove the top like a cork.
A strawberry huller makes this job really quick and easy with minimal waste since you remove the hull with one circular motion and you dont have to cut away any portion of the strawberry flesh.
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Can I Use Milk Instead Of Yogurt In A Smoothie
Theres no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the best substitution for yogurt in a smoothie will depend on your specific ingredients and desired taste. However, milk is generally a good substitute for yogurt in most cases.If youre looking for a dairy-free option, almond milk or coconut milk are both good substitutes for milk. If you want a thicker smoothie, you could add some ice cream or frozen yogurt to your blender. And if youre looking for a boost of protein, adding some whey protein powder to your smoothie will do the trick.
Health Benefits Of Strawberries
Strawberries are rich in Vitamin C, folate, potassium, fibers, and antioxidants.
It has a healthy amount of protein needed for the body.
They are good for your heart, help in regulating blood sugar levels, boost immunity, are known to have anti-cancer properties, regulate blood pressure, and aid in weight management.
The antioxidants and polyphenols in strawberries are good for heart health and prevent cancer.
These are good for skin and hair health.
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Pineapple Delight Yogurt Smoothie Recipe
Pineapples contain certain digestive enzymes called bromelain, which break down protein molecules into their building blocks. This can help ease digestion since protein can be absorbed more easily once its broken down. This tropical fruit is rich in vitamin C, a nutrient that boosts your immune system and protects you from various diseases and illnesses. Thanks to the anti-inflammatory properties of bromelain, pineapples can speed up your recovery after a strenuous workout.
What Youll Need
- 1 teaspoon chia seeds
How to Prepare
Simply combine all of the ingredients and blend until smooth. Add a few ice cubes to make it more refreshing. This recipe yields one serving.
Greek yogurt is an awesome addition to most smoothies. It contains less sugar and sodium than regular yogurt and twice as much protein. On top of that, it is loaded with calcium, iodine, and vitamin B12, which is why it can provide you with various health benefits. There are a number of different ways to eat Greek yogurt. You can combine it with fresh fruit for a healthy breakfast, use it as a topping for certain meals, and even use it as a spread. But perhaps the best way to consume Greek yogurt is to use it as an ingredient for a healthy, creamy, and delicious smoothie. If you have any greek yogurt smoothie recipes youd like to recommend or have any questions let us know in the comments!
Easy Yogurt Bowls For Breakfast Or Snack
I wanted to share one of my favorite easy treats with you today: These Easy Yogurt Bowls are fantastic for breakfast, snacks and even desserts.
What makes this such a perfect little snack is the combination of yogurt plus fruit and nut add-ins combined make a delicious protein and fiber-packed snack! Thanks to Yoplait for partnering up with me on this post!
Yoplait® Yogurt makes a perfect base for yogurt bowls. The single-serve Greek 100 Vanilla is my very favorite. Its the perfect size for snacking and the vanilla flavor is so versatile its great with almost any add-in you can think of.
I also like to use the Yoplait plain yogurt in smoothies and cooking, so I frequently buy the bulk size container of plain yogurt and then just add in my own vanilla and sweetener to make my own vanilla.
When I want a sweet treat without having to pull out the blender, I love my yogurt bowls. They are so easy to throw together and the add-in combinations are endless!
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Turn Your Smoothie Into Popsicles
Ok so now how can you make popsicles out of this tropical smoothie?
It is super simple! Make this recipe exactly the same, grab some mini paper cups and fill them with the smoothie. Drop a popsicle stick inside each one and freeze.
You and your family will love them! Just rip the paper off and enjoy whenever you feel like having a healthy, refreshing snack.
How Much Yogurt Should I Put In A Protein Shake
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It is not required to cook the food simply combine the ingredients and mix them together. On FitDays website, you should stick to nonfat or low-fat yogurt for every serving of protein powder and drink 1 cup of water if necessary.
This low-carbohydrate protein shake is made with frozen strawberries, yogurt, protein powder, and almond milk. It has been sweetened with stevia, a sweetener made from all natural ingredients. Although most grocery stores sell almond milk, Ive yet to find one that is unsweetened. Strawberry yogurt protein shake is made with frozen berries, protein powder, and almond milk. Stevia is an all-natural sweetener used in the recipe. Erythritol carb counts are not included because they have not been shown to have a significant effect on blood sugar levels. Net carbs are the total number of carbohydrates, excluding fiber.
You can get a lot of protein from yogurt on a daily basis. It is even more delicious and stable to add protein powder to yogurt. Yogurt can provide protein supplements to your diet on a daily basis. There are protein powder Greek yogurt smoothies and protein powder yogurt bowls that combine protein powder and fruit.
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Berry Spinach Smoothie Recipe
This Berry Spinach Smoothie is the perfect healthy way to start your day! Its full of vitamins and antioxidants and tastes amazing, too!
Happy Valentines Day! I hope youre all enjoying your day and that its filled with hearts, flowers, love, and CHOCOLATE!
Valentines fun aside, my kiddos and I have been a little under the weather for the past couple of days.
Sore throats, runny noses, not sleeping wellall of which leads to just feeling plain ole exhausted. This is my baby girls first time ever being sick. Iit makes me so sad to see her feeling all puny, and listening to her little baby snuffles.
My son is the same way. Whenever he gets sick, its ALWAYS in his chest. He will wake up coughing and crying, and sometimes we just have to spend the night sitting in the bathroom with the hot water turned on while the steam works its magic. After a night like that, we need a little whole food healing power.
I love smoothies for breakfast during the week, and theyre especially great when youre not feeling well and dont have much of an appetite. Even if regular-chewable food doesnt seem all that palatable, a nice cold smoothie is a great way to make sure youre still getting some good nutrition. Plus its a little easier on a sore throat than your typical breakfast fare.
Hope this finds you in happy, healthy spirits wherever you are. And if youve got a little case of the winter sickies, give this smoothie a try. It might just help kick that cold to the curb.
Flavor Variations And Add
Throw the ingredients into a blender and whiz them into a beautiful creamy puree: and youve got an oatmeal smoothie! Take one sip and it tastes remarkably likewell, oatmeal. The cinnamon is key to the oatmeal vibe. Here are a few more tweaks to this banana oatmeal smoothie you can do to vary it up:
- Customize the cinnamon: Weve listed a range in the recipe below. Use the ½ teaspoon cinnamon for a very forward spiced flavor.
- Vary the nut butter: Use any type of nut butter in place of the peanut butter, like almond butter, cashew butter, or pecan butter.
- Addchai spices: Substitute cozy chai spices for the cinnamon.
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What Kind Of Blender Do You Need To Make A Smoothie
If you want to make a large smoothie or smoothie for two servings, I recommend a traditional blender.
Personally, I love love love my Vitamix and recommend one if smoothies are a part of your daily rituals.
If you want to make an individual smoothie to take with you on the go, the Magic Bullet blender is really great.
However, youll want to halve this recipe for an individual serving size!
Tips For Strawberry Banana Smoothie Recipe:
- You can still make an amazing strawberry smoothie without yogurt. Yogurt does help make it extra creamy, but bananas do that too. If you are going to make this recipe without yogurt, I would use less juice in the recipe. The banana and less juice will still make a delicious strawberry smoothie without yogurt. This works great if you have children that dont love yogurt or they can taste that distinct taste even hidden in a smoothie , you can still serve a delicious smoothie.
- You can use almond milk or any dairy free milk instead of water.
- If adding juice, apple and orange work great.
- Protein Powder- add this to get more protein if your kids dont like yogurt.
- Try fresh strawberries or frozen strawberries. Both are great!
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How To Freeze Fruit For Smoothies
To make smoothies even easier, freeze fresh fruit into portions. You can even prepare smoothie packs and freeze them for a grab-and-blend smoothie option.
To freeze fruit for smoothies, rinse and chop fresh fruit into small pieces. Pat them dry then arrange, in one layer, on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Slide the baking sheet into the freezer and freeze until hard .
When the fruit is hard, divide it between freezer-safe bags and keep it in the freezer for your next smoothie.
Can You Substitute Yogurt For Milk In Smoothies
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Yes, you can substitute yogurt for milk in smoothies. Yogurt is a good source of protein and can help make your smoothie thicker and creamier.
If you dont want to use dairy in your smoothies, you can substitute a variety of different cheeses and yogurts for the same creamy texture. Non-dairy yogurt is always an option, but it can be a little pricey and not everyone enjoys it. Some of the better options include oat milk, almond milk, flax milk, coconut cream, and chia seeds. Yogurt is a sweet and light substitute for rice milk in smoothies. If youre looking for a low-calorie alternative, this is an excellent choice. Mangos, which contain vitamins and antioxidants, are an excellent source of nutrition. Pour a few prunes into your smoothie to make it creamy.
Adding dates to a smoothie will give it a little sweetness and fiber. If youre looking for a protein-rich, creamy smoothie, tofu is a great alternative to yogurt. If youre using tofu, add a half cup to the blender and blend until smooth.
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How To Make A Smoothie Thicker
If you want a delicious super thick smoothie, there are a couple of things you can do to achieve this. One is to add more frozen fruit or ice. Frozen bananas or avocado are other excellent additions that will also add a creaminess to your Greek yogurt smoothie.
Next would be to add an extra scoop of chia seeds. They are full of fiber and will expand when combined with your other smoothie ingredients to create a nice, thick smoothie.
Delicious Banana Yogurt Smoothie
If you love bananas, then this banana yogurt smoothie is the perfect drink for you. You only need a few ingredients, and its super easy to whip up in a blender quickly.
I love this smoothie as it blends to be nice and thick without needing any ice cream. The bananas add a ton of flavor, and the honey sweetens it slightly. Overall its a fruity drink thats hard to stop drinking.
A single batch of this recipe will make enough for roughly two people, but this depends on how thirsty you are. Alternatively, you can easily double or triple the recipe to cater for more people.
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Whats The Best Yogurt To Use For Breakfast Bowls
We used Stonyfields whole milk organic Greek yogurt to create these breakfast bowls! Their yogurt quarts have 5 servings each making them the perfect portion to make your breakfasts for the week! Because of its creamy, thick texture, rich, tangy taste, and protein-loaded nutrient profile, we always stick with plain Greek yogurt when it comes to these breakfast bowls. If you dont love the tangy taste of Greek yogurt though, regular full-fat yogurt is also a really yummy choice. We typically steer clear of low or non-fat yogurt because it tends to lack the rich taste, creamy texture, and balanced nutrient profile that the full-fat variety is full of.
When it comes to yogurt bowls, its also really important to pay attention to added sugars our motto is to keep the yogurt plain and unsweetened so that we can control the amount of sugar in our breakfast with the toppings that we use!
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The Best Blenders For Making Smoothies
You absolutely need some sort of blender to make smoothies. Nothing else will blend ingredients like a blender. If you plan to make smoothies often, I recommend investing in a high-speed blender. A smoothie is only as good as the blender its made in. If youre planning to stick with simple frozen or fresh fruits, then the type of blender used may not be a big deal, but if you plan to add ingredients like dates or seeds or fibrous leafy greens, using a high-speed blender will result in a more desirable smoothie.
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