, Step by step
Watermelon, strawberry and apple smoothie
The flavor of summer, a delicious way to get one of your 5 a day.
Method
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Step 1
Prepare the fruit – wash the strawberries by rinsing under cold water and then drain - once dry, remove the stalks. Cut the watermelon in half through the middle, then cut each half into quarters. Cut through the quarter, creating a slice. Now flick out any black seeds, cut the flesh into chunks and discard the green outer rind. Reserve some of the wedges for the garnish.
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Step 2
Place the strawberries, watermelon, yoghurt, apple juice and honey (if using) into a blender and blitz until smooth.
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Step 3
Pour into 4 glasses and serve with a small wedge of watermelon pushed onto the edge of the glass. Enjoy straight away.
Nutrition
- Smoothies are a delicious way of adding fruit to your diet, providing nutrients including vitamin C and some fibre, and the Greek yoghurt in this recipe provides protein and calcium too.
- The lovely pink colours in this smoothie are provided mainly by carotenoids in the watermelon and anthocyanins in the strawberries. These compounds also have health benefits – both act as antioxidants in the body and can help reduce damage to body cells.
- When we blend fruits for smoothies and juices, we release the sugars from the plant cells, and they become ‘free sugars’. It is this type of sugar that we are advised to avoid in large quantities because it is absorbed very quickly, pushing up blood sugar levels, and is linked to weight gain.
- Therefore, it’s probably best to enjoy your smoothie as part of a meal containing other foods to slow down the absorption of sugars.
- Because of the free sugars, smoothies and juices only count as one of your 5 A Day, even if you have two or more servings! It’s recommended that 150ml – about one serving of Mark’s recipe – is the maximum amount each day and that you get the rest of your 5 A Day from whole vegetables and fruits.
DR JULIET GRAY, NUTRITIONIST
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