A little while ago we had a discussion in the group about having smoothies as part of a post-treatment healthy diet [ thanks to Sarah for opening up the discussion! ]. I’ll leave the experts to go into detail on nutrition but you can have all these health benefits in about 5 mins prep time:
- A delicious drink!
- Fibre
- Anti-oxidants
- Vitamins and minerals
- Some or all of your ‘five a day’
- An easy way to get fruit and veg into your diet when swallowing is difficult
The smoothie makers can be expensive at £100 plus but can also be had for £20 if you shop around, for example:
Breville VBL075 Blend Active Blender – £19.99 at the time of writing from ARGOS
The possible combinations in a smoothie are endless and well covered in articles elsewhere but there are two basic styles: FRUIT and VEG [ can be mixed of course ].
A basic fruit smoothie might include:
- small banana
- half a dozen ripe strawberries
- handful of blueberries
- fresh orange juice to thin it down
Whizz it till it looks right, pour and enjoy. Frozen fruit can be used and gives a nice chill to the finished smoothie.
Fruit is not cheap, but grab it from a market just before they close, or get overripe fruit – often reduced for a quick sale. If it’s got a few knocks and bruises so what?
Here’s a ‘green’ smoothie recipe including some veg:
- Cup and a half of apple juice
- Two cups stemmed and chopped spinach or kale
- One apple—unpeeled, cored, and chopped
-
Half an avocado, chopped
