[RFTW] Blueberry Mango Smoothie

Summer is smoothie season!  When you’re firing up the BBQ this Memorial Day, why not dust off the ol’ blender, too?

I love Jamba Juice, but their recipes often use a lot of fruit juice, which adds calories without adding much nutrition.  It’s pretty easy to make a smoothie at home that rivals Jamba in taste and texture, but beats them in nutrients.

I always keep frozen blueberries, raspberries, and mango chunks ready to go.  The mango is key — it adds a dense, creamy richness that makes them more like sorbet.

Here’s the recipe for one that I made earlier this week.  Took me all of three minutes.

1 cup Fat-Free Milk
1/2 cup Fat-Free Greek Yogurt
1 large Banana
1 cup Frozen Blueberries
1/2 cup Frozen Mango Chunks
2 tablespoons Flaxseed Meal
2 tablespoons Vanilla Whey Protein Powder

Throw everything in the blender and hang on tight while it works through those mango chunks. You may need to stop, give it a little stir, and start it up again.

There’s no ice or juice in this smoothie — it’s not necessary.   The frozen fruit is cold enough!  (Frozen blueberries are just as nutritious as fresh ones — but are a lot cheaper).

Obviously you can tweak this recipe in tons of different ways… but I find that with this as a starting point, I end up with a tasty smoothie every time!

Makes about two 12 ounce servings, each with 244 cal, 0.5g sat fat, 4g total fat, 84mg sodium, 39g carbs, 27g sugar, 6.6g fiber, and 18g protein.

By the way, if you’re in the market for a new blender, I highly recommend this KitchenAid 5-Speed Blender (Amazon Link).  I got one about a year ago, and love it.