by Rosa Lee

Created on: May 16, 2009   Last Updated: July 19, 2010

Smoothies just may be the perfect snack. With no need for expensive culinary equipment or exotic and hard to find ingredients, smoothies are quick and easy to make with just about anything you have on hand. The choice is limited only by what you have in the kitchen. What other recipe gives you so much variety and freedom?

While you don't need to be  particularly health conscious or on a diet to enjoy a smoothie, these fantastic treats do have the advantage of being a healthy and nutritious snack. They can quiet that nagging hunger between meals or just before bed. Smoothies can even be used as a meal replacement for when you're on the go or just don't feel like having a big meal.

Certain foods like bananas and chickpeas help you feel satisfied when added to a smoothie. The potassium in bananas helps reduce blood pressure, anxiety and stress, and heart and kidney disorders while boosting muscular strength and the metabolism. Two small spoonfuls of chickpeas in a smoothie won't alter the flavour, but it will increase your fibre intake without bulking up on breads, pasta and cereals. This means you will feel full, stay regular, and reduce the risk of cancer, diabetes and heart disease.

Quick and easy to make, smoothies are a great snack idea for kids, especially if you have a picky eater. By letting your children choose whatever combination of fruits and juices they want for their smoothies, picky eaters become masters of their own snack destiny.

While the selection of what goes into your smoothie is limitless, here are a couple of recipes that are sure to be a hit:

Taste of the Tropics Smoothie

1 ripe banana broken into chunks

2 teaspoons of chickpeas

3 tablespoons of coconut milk

1/2 cup peach slices

1/2 cup of citrus juice (Orange juice or 5-Alive works best)

1/2 cup pineapple juice

* Place ingredients in blender or smoothie maker and blend until smooth.

* Pour into your favourite oversized mug or glass and enjoy! (Makes a 2 cup serving)

Summer Fun Smoothie Pops

1 ripe banana broken into chunks

1 cup of strawberries

1 cup of orange juice

* Place ingredients in blender or smoothie maker and blend until smooth.

* Pour into a popsicle tray or ice cube tray, add handles or toothpicks and place in freezer

* Once popsicles have frozen, enjoy! (Yield varies on tray sizes)

Feel free to guesstimate the measurements and be creative in your combinations. Ingredients you might want to try are:

* fruit; canned, frozen or straight out of the fruit bowl

* juice; whatever is in the fridge

* milk or yogurt for a creamy texture

* ice

* berries

Got the idea? Great! Now, go ahead and experiment! It will be the yummiest adventure yet!

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