Homemade Berry Smoothies

Ever since visiting my convalescing friend Shelly a few weeks ago and making her a berry smoothie because she couldn't get out of bed to make it herself, I've been on a smoothie kick. They're easy to make, healthy, and they've been hitting the spot when I'm hungry for a night time snack. 

 In my smoothies, I use:

• about 1 to 1/2 cups frozen berries - I usually use a combination of strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries
• about 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
• about 1/4 cup milk (add more if smoothie is too thick)
• 2 tsp Benefiber
• 1 T Agave syrup
• 1 banana

My friend buys big bags of frozen fruit, but I've been buying whichever berries are on sale and freezing them myself.

I wash the berries then place them on a cookie sheet to freeze so they don't all clump together. I hull and slice the strawberries before freezing. When it's frozen I transfer the fruit to containers.


Benefiber simply adds a little fiber to the diet and has no flavor at all. Agave syrup is a natural sweetener that is supposed to aid digestion. 


I like my smoothies creamy, which is why I add the yogurt and milk. However, they can be made vegan by omitting these ingredients and adding a bit of water instead; start with about 1/4 cup and then add more if the smoothie is too thick.            

I use my Magic Bullet, but any kind of blender should do it. The trick is to use frozen fruit, then you don't need ice. I hate putting ice in the blender because even in the Magic Bullet it is a pain in the butt to get a nice slushy consistency before the ice starts melting.

First I put the berries, milk, yogurt, Benefiber, and Agave syrup in the Bullet and mix it all up. I have to stop and shake up the cup a few times because those frozen berries are slightly tricky to puree. Then I add a nicely ripened banana, and for some reason that brings it all together and makes the smoothie a really, well, smooth consistency.  If you don't care for bananas, you can definitely skip them, but you might need a little extra milk (or water if you're making a vegan shake). 


I'm a huge sucker for ice cream, and these smoothies almost satisfy my ice cream craving. (I'm not gonna lie and tell you they're just as good as ice cream because, really, what is as good as ice cream?) I'd like to experiment with some different fruits...any ideas?