Concocted in a minute and served in a glass or travel mug, blender beverages are great choices for a snack or a mini-meal. Add chopped bananas or strawberries for extra flavor and vitamins. Mix in some nonfat dry milk powder for extra calcium. For extra thickening and sweetness, blend in cubed or pureed frozen fruit.
Frozen fruit gives a thick, slushy consistency without watering down the flavor as ice does.
Excellent fruits for freezing include strawberries, raspberries, melons, bananas and peaches, which are readily available at this time of year. To prepare, wash the fruit, peel if necessary and cut into cubes, slices or chunks. Place in a single layer on a cookie sheet and freeze until firm. Put the pieces in zip-lock bags and store in the freezer. You also can puree fruit, freeze it in ice cube trays, then pop it into plastic bags.