NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Don't have time for to sit down for a healthy breakfast?
You have another option. Something you can just throw together and grab and go.
A blender and a bunch of fresh fruit and juice, plus some healthy yougurt.
Put it all together and you can have a healthy smoothie. But you do need a strong blender...one that's up to the job of crushing and puréeing all of this into something like this.
Smoothies are a great choice for an on-the-go breakfast and can help you pack a lot of nutrient-rich produce and fiber into one cup.
“Smoothies contain whole fruit, which provides nutrients and fiber," said Consumer Reports' Amy Keating. "It’s also easy to add vegetables like carrots or leafy greens, and protein sources like non-fat yogurt, nut butters, nuts, and seeds, which will make it more filling.”
Having the right blender to whip one up is key, says Consumer Reports.
“You want something that’s going to deliver a smooth, consistent texture because there’s nothing worse than a lumpy drink or a lumpy smoothie," said Consumer Reports' Tyler Ivester.
Testers blend batches of nonalcoholic pina coladas and then pass the drink through a series of different-sized sieves.
“You don’t want something that is too thick and too chunky getting stuck early on, but you also don't want something that’s just liquid and just going straight through all the way to the bottom.”
As you can see, the pina colada from this blender isn’t very drinkable -- it leaves behind lots of chunks and bits.
If you plan on adding harder foods like apples, carrots, or even leafy greens, this test assesses how well a blender can purée those raw ingredients into a soup.
This Ninja Professional Plus Kitchen system is a great value. It’s durable, stellar for smoothies, earns top marks for puréeing and crushing ice, and is easy to clean.
If all you really want is a smoothie on the go, a personal blender like this NutriBullet Original can save you some money.
Here's one more idea. Stock up on summer fruits and vegetables now and then freeze them for smoothies later this winter. And You can reduce food waste by freezing any produce that’s about to go bad and saving it for your smoothies and soups.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at jennifer.kraus@newschannel5.com
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