Tasty Everyday Smoothies

 

Smoothies Made Easy

Smoothies are a great way to get more healthy cancer-fighting fruit and vegetables into your diet. Just remember, smoothies can pack a lot of calories so use these as a large snack or meal. These tips can help you get started on smoothie making.

  • Blend ingredients together to desired consistency, adding additional liquid if needed. Depending on the 'strength' of your blender, you may need more or less liquid to make the mixture blend.
  • You can use frozen fruit instead of fresh. This will make a thicker smoothie.
  • For tofu, try a brand such as Mori-Nu. This type of tofu, which is sealed in rectangular, 12-ounce boxes, does not need to be refrigerated until it is opened. Look for it on the regular store shelf, possibly in the 'health food' aisle of your grocery store. Do refrigerate any left over portion of tofu after you open it at home.
  • In any of these recipes, use whichever liquid you like. Try 100% juice, organic skim milk, soy milk, rice milk, almond milk, oat milk, or other grain milk.

Note: Calorie and protein values are approximate and vary slightly, depending on which liquid you use to blend ingredients together.

Purple Power
1 and 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
1/3 package tofu (see hint above, this is about 4 oz tofu)
1/2 cup liquid base (soy milk, organic skim milk, rice milk, etc.)
(328 calories; 14g protein; 50g carbohydrate; 8g fat; 7.5g fiber)

Berry Fruity
1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1/2 cup fresh or frozen strawberries
1/2 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
5 baby carrots
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
1/2 cup soy milk
1/3 package tofu (see hint above, this is about 4 oz tofu)
(300 calories; 15 grams protein; 45g carbohydrate; 6.5g fat; 8g fiber)

Any Day Smoothie
Use 1/2 to 1 cup liquid base (soy milk, 100% juice, organic skim milk, etc.)
Add 1/2 cup each of two to three types of frozen berries
Add 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
1/2 cup organic, lowfat cottage cheese
Blend & Enjoy!

Remember, any fruit, along with a few baby carrots, a good source of protein (tofu, flax, cottage cheese), and a bit of liquid can make a tasty smoothie!

Latest Cancer News
ACOG Updates Cervical Cancer Screening Guidelines

November 20, 2009 — The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has revised its cervical cancer screening recommendations: the organization now recommends that women begin screening at the age of 21 and receive screening at less frequent intervals. These recommendations will be published in the December 2009 issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

New Velcade®-melphalan Transplant Regimen for Multiple Myeloma

November 20, 2009 — Researchers from France have reported encouraging results with adding Velcade® (bortezomib) to high-dose melphalan followed by autologus stem cell infusion for initial treatment of patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma. The details of this Phase II study appeared in an early online publication in Blood on November 2, 2009.

Folic Acid May Be Beneficial in Patients with Recurrent Colorectal Adenoma Who Are Folate Deficient

November 20, 2009 — Researchers affiliated with the Health Professional Follow-Up Study and the Nurses’ Health Study have reported that folic acid supplementation in patients with recurrent colorectal adenoma was not protective or harmful in most patients. However, patients who were folate deficient had a significant 39% decrease in adenoma recurrence. The details of this study appeared in an early online publication on October 28, 2009 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Select news items provided by Reuters Health