I don't know about you, but I'm always looking for a light and preferably ice-cold frozen treat during the hot summer months.
A yummy option is a frozen fruit smoothie made with plenty of strawberries, bananas, some low-fat vanilla yogurt and a splash of skim milk.
Not only does it taste delicious, it's actually quite healthy.
Let's take a look at why smoothies are a healthy snack option.
Let's start with the frozen fruit.
You know how healthy eating plenty of fruit is.
There are plenty of vitamins and other nutrients in it.
It's also beneficial to use frozen instead of fresh fruit.
This fruit is picked at its peak, when it is perfectly ripened and has the most nutrients.
Some experts say that consuming frozen fruits and vegetables is even better than fresh, since the fresh produce we pick up at the grocery store is already several days old.
It has to be picked off the vine or tree, washed and then taken to the grocery store by truck or train.
And it looses important nutrients, including vitamins, during that period.
And this is exactly why smoothies made with frozen fruit are even healthier for you.
Milk and Yogurt - Next we'll take a closer look at the dairy ingredients for our frozen fruit smoothies.
They are low-fat yogurt and skim milk.
Both of them have quite a bit of calcium that our bones need.
If you are a woman, you definitely want to take advantage of this.
As we get older our bones are depleted of calcium and we have to replenish it or risk osteoporosis as we get older.
Smoothies are also great for kids for the same reason.
Their bones are still growing and need lots of calcium to grow strong.
Yogurt as well as milk contain quite a bit of protein which helps your body maintain muscle mass.
It is very important to get plenty of protein when you are dieting or most of your weight loss will be in muscle instead of body fat.
Don't Forget About The Hydration Factor - Smoothies also help us stay well hydrated because of the liquid from both from the milk (or juice if you prefer) and from the fruit itself.
During the heat of the summer months, we tend to lose more water than usual and without it your body just can't function.
Smoothies are my favorite way to help us stay hydrated - of course you should still make sure you drink plenty of plain water as well.
The fact that they are frozen also helps our bodies cool down.
It's just one of the many benefits of drinking a frozen fruit smoothie.
By far my favorite though is the fact that they taste absolutely delicious and help fill me up with just a few calories.
All this makes it the perfect summer treat.