Cooking Lesson #546: Holiday Basic Breakfast Smoothie

…from the Perspectives’ Holiday Kitchen

​How you doin’? Who doesn’t love smoothies?… fruity, healthy and delicious… right? But I’ve seen nutritional facts on smoothies from some of the juice stores that will blow your mind! My Holiday Breakfast Smoothie recipe has a scaled down calorie count but is not scaled down in flavor.
 
Where did Smoothies originate? It appears that health food stores on the West Coast of the United States began selling smoothies in the 1930s associated with invention of the electric blender. The actual term "smoothie" was being used in recipes and trademarks by the mid-1980s.
 
The earliest fruit smoothies were thick, frozen drinks made from orange juice, strawberries, and ice, and although they shared the electric blender in common with the long-standing milkshake, smoothies were a completely different drink aimed at cooling and refreshing beach-goers.
 
Different flavored smoothies are part of Indian, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines. Fruit Sharbat (a popular Persian and South Asian drink) sometimes include yogurt and honey, too. In India, the Lassi is a smoothie or milkshake comprising crushed ice, yogurt, sugar, and mango; in the south, pineapple smoothies made with crushed ice, sugar and no yogurt are common.
 
Prep time:  10 minutes
Yield:  4 servings
 
Ingredients 
2 cups low-fat eggnog
2 large, sliced bananas
1 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt
1 cup fat-free milk
2 cups crushed or chipped ice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Optional fruit or vegetable of your choice (see ChefSecret)
 
Directions

1. Place all ingredients into blender and blend until smooth.
2. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size          1/4 of recipe
Calories                240
Cal from Fat         25
Total Fat               3 g
Saturated Fat       0 g
Cholesterol          0 mg
Sodium                 150 mg
Total Carb             47 g
Dietary Fiber        2 g
Sugars                   40 g
Proteins                9 g
Vitamin A             4% DV
Vitamin C             15% DV
Calcium                20% DV
Iron                       6% DV
 Percent Daily Values (DV) are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
 
ChefSecret:  While this is a great basic smoothie and really watches the calories, you may choose to add some fresh berries for a sweeter, fruity flavor. Any additional ingredients you add will increase the calories—yes, even fresh berries will add a few calories to the basic smoothie.

​Quip of the Day: “I think I should work at a smoothie shop. I feel like I would blend in.”
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Do you have a question or comment?  Send your thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com.  All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind.

#Beverage #Smoothie #HolidaySmoothie #BreakfastSmoothie #EggNog #Nutmeg #Christmas #Holidays2022 #HolidayRecipes #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup

                                                   ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2022

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