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SMOOTHIES – IT'S COOL TO BE COOL
FROM THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE FOR CANCER RESEARCH

Smoothies have spilled out of the health food store and gone mainstream. The cool smoothie is hot. Juice bars serving blender-whipped yogurt and fruit drinks are on the street, in the mall and at the market. The smoothie has followed bagels, frozen yogurt and lattés as the food of the moment. But, like many commercialized foods, the store-bought smoothie often contains more fat, sugar and calories than its "healthy" appearance might suggest.

Some smoothies are being pushed as frosty meals that can lower cholesterol, increase athletic performance and boost your intake of vitamins. But without watching what goes into the mixture, they can actually have unhealthy features. Adding peanut butter and chocolate, for example, doesn't make a low-fat, nutritious meal.

The place to really have a smoothie is in your home kitchen, where you can control which ingredients go into these refreshing drinks. Smoothies are easy and fun to make #&150; you don't even really need a recipe. All it takes is a blender, some fruit, a liquid (dairy, juice, or soymilk product) and a dose of imagination. You can use fresh fruit in season or keep frozen fruit on hand to use any time of year. To boost the nutritional value of your drink, you can toss in a little wheat germ. A homemade smoothie is an easy way to have a tasty breakfast or snack full of fiber, vitamins and protein #&150; sort of a thick milkshake without the guilt.

Start by placing about a half-cup of liquid in the blender, then a sliced banana, or a cup of other fruit, and pureé until smooth, gradually adding more liquid until you reach the desired consistency. If you use fruit at room temperature and you want an instantly-chilled smoothie, replace a little of the liquid with a few ice cubes. With frozen fruit, of course, you'll always have a chilled drink as near as your fridge.

The following are two too-good-to-skip smoothies.

Orange-Pineapple Smoothie

Place all ingredients in a blender and pureé until smooth.

Makes two servings.

Per serving: 326 calories, 0 g. total fat (0 g. saturated fat), 80 g. carbohydrate, 2 g. protein, 4 g. dietary fiber, 38 mg. sodium.

Mango Smoothie

In a blender, place mangos and yogurt and pureé until smooth. Gradually blend in enough milk to achieve desired consistency.

Makes 2 servings.

Per serving: 198 calories, 2 g. total fat (1 g. saturated fat), 39 g. carbohydrate, 8 g. protein, 2 g. dietary fiber, 98 mg. sodium.

Author:

AICR offers a Nutrition Hotline (1-800-843-8114). Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET, Monday-Friday, this free service allows you to ask a registered dietitian questions about diet, nutrition and cancer. The American Institute for Cancer Research is the only major cancer charity focusing exclusively on the link between diet, nutrition and cancer. The Institute provides a wide range of education programs that help millions of Americans learn to make changes for lower cancer risk. AICR also supports innovative research in cancer prevention and treatment at universities, hospitals and research centers across the U.S. The Institute has provided more than $62 million in funding for research in diet, nutrition and cancer. AICR's Web address is www.aicr.org.

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