Liquid Nutritional Supplement Vitamin Articles & Resources

The smoothie recipes you'll find here fall right in line with that prescription. Ranging from a quick breakfast beverage to an after-exercise energizer, they capitalize on summer's bounty of fruit and provide a heaping helping of vitamins and minerals. Best of all, these smoothies let you save your efforts for working out, not working in the kitchen--each recipe is as easy as one (assemble ingredients), two (puree in a blender), three (pour).

Post-Workout Peach Cobbler Smoothie

Eating protein after exercise helps the body rebuild muscle. The soy in this smoothie does the job, plus silken-style tofu is an excellent source of vitamin B and iron. The peaches add vitamin A, vitamin C and fiber; the wheat germ provides folic acid, thiamin, zinc, magnesium and vitamin E. Makes one 16-ounce serving.

 1 cup fresh peeled and chopped peaches, frozen
1/2 cup peeled and chopped mango
1/3 cup soft silken-style tofu
1/4 cup soy yogurt
1/4 cup soy milk
 2 tablespoons wheat germ
 8 ice cubes

Place all ingredients in a blender with ice-crushing ability. Make sure the lid is on tight. Using a puree or ice crush setting, blend the ingredients until they are relatively smooth. Then blend on a liquefy or high speed setting for a few seconds until completely smooth. Transfer the mixture to a glass and serve immediately.

ONE SERVING: 329 calories, 15 g protein, 57 g carbohydrate, 7 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 8 g fiber

Berry Breakfast Boost

Vitamin C, calcium, omega-3 fatty acids--this morning smoothie will send you off for the day with a good dose of each. Frozen fruit is used to make it frosty, resulting in a richer, fruitier drink than if you'd added ice. Makes one 12-ounce serving.

3/4 cup orange juice (preferably fresh-squeezed)
1/2 cup fresh raspberries, frozen
1/2 cup fresh strawberries, trimmed and frozen
1/2 cup fresh blackberries, frozen
1/2 cup low-fat vanilla or berry yogurt
 1 teaspoon flaxseed oil

Place all ingredients in a blender with ice-crushing ability. Make sure the lid is on tight. Using a puree or ice crush setting, blend the ingredients until they are relatively smooth. Then blend on a liquefy or high speed setting for a few seconds until completely smooth. Transfer the mixture to a glass and serve immediately.

ONE SERVING: 327 calories, 7 g protein, 62 g carbohydrate, 8 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 10 g fiber

Chocolatey Meal Replacement

Sure, this liquid meal tastes like dessert, but you can take comfort in knowing that it provides a serving of healthy carbohydrates, protein, fat, fiber and potassium. If possible, use a banana with a fair number of spots--the riper the banana, the sweeter this smoothie will taste. Makes one 16-ounce serving.

 1 medium ripe banana, peeled
 1 heaping scoop chocolate protein powder
3/4 cup vanilla or chocolate soy milk
 10 ice cubes

Place all ingredients in a blender with ice-crushing ability. Make sure the lid is on tight. Using a puree or ice crush setting, blend the ingredients until they are relatively smooth. Then blend on a liquefy or high speed setting for a few seconds until completely smooth. Transfer the mixture to a glass and serve immediately.

ONE SERVING: 274 calories, 26 g protein, 33 g carbohydrate, 6 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 5 g fiber

Cherry Pineapple Energy Booster

The fruit in this blend provides some of the nutrients essential for helping the body turn fuel into energy. Whether bee pollen, an optional ingredient, really increases energy as claimed is unknown, but it can't hurt (though you should avoid it if you're allergic to bee stings) and it may help. When selecting cherries, look for those that are firm and dark red. Makes one 12-ounce serving.

 1 cup fresh pitted cherries, frozen
1/2 cup chopped fresh pineapple
1/2 cup orange juice (preferably fresh-squeezed)
 1 teaspoon bee pollen (optional)

Place all ingredients in a blender with ice-crushing ability. Make sure the lid is on tight. Using a puree or ice crush setting, blend the ingredients until they are relatively smooth. Then blend on a liquefy or high speed setting for a few seconds until completely smooth. Transfer the mixture to a glass and serve immediately.

ONE SERVING (without bee pollen): 198 calories, 3 g protein, 46 g carbohydrate, 2 g fat (<1 g saturated fat), 5 g fiber

Strawberry-Kiwi Super Snack

Whether your personal witching hour is mid-morning or 3 ., this tropical, icy blend will give you a lift. Makes one 16-ounce serving.

 1 cup fresh strawberries, trimmed
 1 medium ripe banana, peeled
 1 medium kiwi fruit, peeled
1/2 cup soy milk or low-fat milk
 6 ice cubes

Place all ingredients in a blender with ice-crushing ability. Make sure the lid is on tight. Using a puree or ice crush setting, blend the ingredients until they are relatively smooth. Then blend on a liquefy or high speed setting for a few seconds until completely smooth. Transfer the mixture to a glass and serve immediately.

ONE SERVING (made with soy milk): 183 calories, 6 g protein, 37 g carbohydrate, 3 g fat (<1 g saturated fat), 9 g fiber

RELATED ARTICLE: How Sweet It Is (or Isn't)

THERE ARE A LOT OF FACTORS that determine the sweetness of fruit at any given time, including how and when it was picked, where it was grown and, of course, the season. If you find that your smoothies need an extra touch of sweetness, add a tablespoon of honey (60 calories, 17 g carbohydrate), or if you prefer a no-cal sweetener, a couple of packets of Splenda.