Make Your Own Summer Smoothies!

Food & Wine's Gail Simmons Demoes Prepping Lo-Cal, Healthy, Inexpensive, Yummy Treats

(CBS)  It's the ultimate summer treat, but a 40-ounce smoothie can cost you $6 or more at a store, not to mention adding more than a thousand calories to your intake.

On "The Early Show Saturday Edition,", Gail Simmons of Food & Wine Magazine showed how you can make four smoothies that will cost you far less in money and calories, but that have big-time taste.

So, break out the blender!

• The Big Show Smoothie - 150 Cal.

• Pear Ginger Smoothie - 145 Cal.

• Strawberry Almond Smoothie - 165 Cal.

• Dried Plum Apple Smoothie - 205 Cal.

The Big Show Smoothie (Basic Fruit Smoothie)

Why this smoothie:

This shows the basic building blocks for a smoothie. The best consist of a fruit, a fat/dairy, a sweetener (if necessary) and ice. You can make this almost as fast as you put together breakfast, and it's a great alternative for breakfast. Here we will show you how to find the right consistency and suggest adding "super fruits."

About the smoothie:

This is a very basic recipe for a smoothie, and I think it makes it easy to adapt for many different variations.

In a blender, combine 1 cup of mixed seasonal berries (blueberries, raspberries and blackberries) 1 cup low-fat yogurt to give it creaminess and add protein, 1 tablespoon of honey or agave nectar.

Agave nectar is a terrific alternative sweetener that you can find at any health food or organic market, it is sweeter than honey and has a lower glycemic quality than other sweeteners. Add 1 cup of ice and blend.

Consider adding superfruits (like blueberries or acai berries) to the drink to boost the antioxidants and nutrition value.

Why use low-fat yogurt, could you use whole mix or even ice cream?

The dairy add richness and flavor, but also can be a huge source of calories and fat. Or if you chose skim milk or fat free greek style yogurt you get the protein without all the fat. Also consider using silken tofu.

It's important to have a balance of carbs and protein. It's recommended that athletes consume a balanced smoothie after a particularly hard endurance activity to restore glycogen to your muscles, as well as repair miniscule muscle tears.

Pear-Ginger Smoothie

Why this smoothie:

I like this one because instead of fruit juices, it shows that sometimes vegetable juice, like delicious carrot juice can bring in a whole other range of vitamins. Plus you can add in wheat Germ or Flax to any smoothie to make it super nutritious

About this smoothie:

This smoothie uses carrot juice, which gives this drink its orange color and lots of vitamin A. Combine 1 ripe Anjou or Bartlett pear-peeled, cored and chopped, ¼ fresh carrot juice, ¼ cup skim milk, ½ teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger and ½ cup crushed ice. Blend until smooth.

Carrot in a smoothie: It doesn't have to be just fruit.

Remember spices like ginger and cinnamon for complexity

Disguising things in smoothies, important to consider. I like to toss in wheat germ or flax to get added fiber or omega-3 fatty acid. You don't notice the taste but there's so much positive to have from it.

Strawberry Almond Smoothie

Why this smoothie:

This drink is certainly more complicated than the basic smoothie I just demoed, but this flavor is a little more original and surprising and there are some terrific benefits in this drinks.

About the smoothie:

This recipe is actually from a detox story that we did a few months ago and it really helps. While it's higher in calories than some of the others, there are great benefits to be had.

Instead of milk or yogurt, we use coconut water which is low in sugar, dairy-free and still imparts a lovely sweetness. Puree the almonds with the coconut water and salt until smooth. For a smoother consistency, you can strain the almond milk through a fine sieve. Add 1 cup frozen strawberries (this is a good trick to eliminate the use of ice) with 2 dried figs, coarsely chopped, 1 /2 teaspoon agave nectar and a pinch of ground cinnamon. Puree and serve.

Why almonds? Very unexpected. Almonds are terrific for you, you get a boost of protein plus they are very good for your heart. Some people like to add peanut butter, this is a much healthier way to get the rich flavor without all the calories and bad fat.

Frozen fruit: Freezing your fruit to eliminate some of the ice, making your drink less watery. Easy to do with leftovers, or overripe fruit…or just keep a bag of frozen strawberries on hand.

Dried Plum - Apple Smoothie

Rich and satisfying, this drink packs in lots of fiber as well as a fruit flavor. Combines prunes, apple juice, yogurt and spices.

[sunforeman]

I concur; both food segments were rushed and no where near as entertaining as they should have been. It's becoming painful to watch the Early Show's rush-push through these clips during the show. Maybe someone at CBS who plans for these time increments should take note that there is an entire channel devoted to FOOD and that we love watching its preparation and step-by-step review of the recipes. Thanks for letting me share my annoyance and this happening.

[gatesbp]

I TOTALLY agree. The guests are constantly being interrupted by the host giving their comments. Who cares? If they know so much why do they bring on guests, do it yourself.

[Naomi747]

I cannot tell you how much I absolutely agree with the above comments. It is SO frustrating to anticipate hearing information only to either have the guest continually interrupted and not allowed to completely express themselves and/or have the segment rushed because of time constraints. I concur that if you can't get it in - please don't try it. It's so not worth it.

[Lisa1123]

I completely agree with the above comment. I would have liked to have heard what Gail Simmons actually had to say about each smoothie, instead of just allowing her to list ingredients. I felt it was rude to invite her to do a segment, then not let her even speak.

[billiecha]

I really do not like the speed with which you cover segments. You rush through your guests so they cannot even get out what they are there to say. This is in general to the whole show. If you don't have time, don't try to cover something. Mentioning it and then rushing it so hastily is not how I want to start my day. If others don't have time to watch your show...you shouldn't make the rest of us wonder what else we might have heard under the topic. Maybe you could save some time by not mentioning the weather so MANY times during the 2 hours.