Summertime smoothies: go on a blender bender for better health. (food).(fruit smoothie drinks)(Brief Article)(Recipe)

Getting your daily requirement of fruits and vegetables can be inconvenient, especially when you're on the go. You can't eat a grapefruit for breakfast while driving to work, and a watermelon won't exactly fit in your gym bag for a post-workout snack.

With a little help from a blender, however, you can whip up a satisfying summertime smoothie that's chock full of vitamins and minerals. Smoothies provide a tasty new vehicle for old favorites like carrot juice, wheat germ and plain yogurt. Plus, a light and refreshing smoothie won't weigh you down while you're working out in warm weather. Best of all, smoothies are 100-percent customizable and use fresh, whole ingredients. Add extras such as carob or malted milk powder to impart a gourmet flavor to your concoctions.

In the book Smoothies! The Original Smoothie Book, author Dan Titus offers the lowdown on smoothie ingredients: fruit. While fresh, seasonal fruit is best, frozen produce works for fruits that aren't available year-round. juice. Frozen concentrates or bottled juices are ideal, and may be found at your natural products store. banana. The "salt and pepper" of the smoothie world, bananas add to the smoothness of your drink. Too much banana will overpower the other ingredients, however, so be aware that as bananas ripen, their taste becomes stronger.

non-fat frozen yogurt. Similar to ice milk, except for the addition of yogurt culture. Too much yogurt culture can give your smoothie a sour taste.

crushed ice. This is the most difficult ingredient to make. Although crushed-ice machines are available in the marketplace, the easiest way to crush ice is to do it by hand. Simply place ice in a resealable plastic bag and crush it with a mallet until it can be measured and poured easily, saving wear and tear on your blender.

And what's not to like about blowing off a little steam as you take a few whacks at the ice?

Whether you're on your way to work or working your way elsewhere, here's to your health, the smoothie way.