Ubiquitous

Strawberries & banana smoothie

03 Jun 2010 3 Comments

by Ubiquityin Health, Reality bites, Recipe Vault Tags: smoothies, updates

Reality check, I have about 3 weeks to lose weight till the next vacation (my visa application is still processing but at the rate things are going, there are high chances that I’ll make this trip!). I’ve been on a snacking binge lately. Every single night, without fail, without even having the urge for a bite, I’d find myself raiding the pantry for a piece of chocolate or a cookie. Very very bad Anna. It’s no wonder I’m tipping the scale bit by bit every single day.

So with the vacation as my motivation, I shall lose weight. I MUST I MUST I MUST lose some weight. I’m nowhere near obese, mind you. Not even fat. I was just used to being leaner and healthier. Now? Let’s just say I have some ‘acceptably’ (ahem!) cuddly baby fats. Hehehe…

With that in mind, I’ve started on my dieting regime as of today. Won’t go into details about what I eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner but I will tell you what I’ve made for lunch. As a substitute of my usual sandwiches, I’ve opted for smoothies this time. But before I go on and share the simple but really delicious recipe with you, I’d like to share a little history on my previous obsession with smoothies.

When I was 16 I had a part-time job in a juice bar. This juice bar sells nothing but healthy fruit juices and smoothies. I had a fancy job title then, I was a ‘juice consultant’. That cracks me up till this day. A juice consultant! Hahaha! Anyway, as a juice consultant, I was responsible in preparing nutritional beverages. Once in a while, I would be asked for a recommendation by customers who do not know what they want. That was the best part of my job. I loved concocting new mixtures. So based on their preferences, like for instance; if the customer wants something thick and filling but they don’t want the usual banana and strawberries smoothie, I’d make something else for them. Like banana with oats and chocolate powder. Or banana with mango and orange. A year later after I quit that job I got myself a brand spanking new blender to satisfy my smoothie desires. Crazy me.

Moving on now, here’s the recipe of my strawberries and banana smoothie.

Serves 1

Fill ice cubes to the brim of the glass

Ingredients:
1 medium-sized glass (the quantity depends on the size of your glass, the larger your glass is the greater it amount it yields, but remember though, if your glass is big add in a couple more strawberries to increase the density of the smoothie, unless you like it watery)
6 strawberries, cut into small pieces
1 banana, cut into small pieces
ice cubes
2 tablespoon of oats
1 tablespoon of honey
soy milk

Directions:
Put the bananas and strawberries in a glass and pack some ice cubes on the fruits to the brim (about 5 or 6 ice cubes, don’t put too much otherwise the mixture will turn out like a badly blended Starbucks frappe). Fill half of the glass with soy milk (again, don’t put too much otherwise the mixture will turn out watery, unless you like it that way). Pop the glass’s contents in the blender and add in the oats and honey. Blend it for about 30 – 45 seconds and voila ! Serve immediately!

PS: If you want to make 2 glasses (or more), just double (adjust accordingly) each ingredients and put it in another cup for precise measurement.

Some nutritional facts:
Strawberries contain a range of nutrients, with vitamin C heading the group. They also contain significant levels of phytonutrients and antioxidants, which fight free radicals. These antioxidant properties are believed to be linked to what makes the strawberry bright red. Free radicals are elements that can damage cells, and they are thought to contribute to the formation of many kinds of cancer. In addition to vitamin C, strawberries also provide an excellent source of vitamin K and manganese, as well as folic acid, potassium, riboflavin, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, copper, magnesium, and omega-3 fatty acids.

Banana is one of nature’s best sources of potassium. Potassium is known to significantly lower the risk of high blood pressure and related diseases such as heart attacks and strokes. Bananas are believed to prevent dangerous low-density lipoprotein from oxidizing, which causes it to stick to the walls of the arteries. This accumulation can contribute hardening of the arteries, a major contributor to heart attack, stroke and high blood pressure. Even one serving of a potassium rich food,such as bananas can lower your risk of stroke by up to 40%.