If cooking just seems like too much time and cleanup sometimes, blenders are a great tool for a fast and easy way to fit more raw fruits and veggies into your diet.

When you’re jammed for time a smoothie can be a great way to fix a healthier inexpensive meal while spending a minimal amount of time in the kitchen. Sometimes the cleanup is only the blender and the spoon, perfect for anyone on-the-go who wants to eat something slightly less factory-processed.

You can even sneak some of the not-so-great-tasting healthy foods in a smoothie by mixing it with an ingredient you like with a stronger flavor. Smoothies may help keep the grocery budget low too because you can freeze leftover or on sale fruit to use as ingredients later.

Depending on your tastes of favorite fruit and veg, you can create smoothies for any meal. For breakfast, try ingredients like banana, yogurt, strawberries, orange juice and milk. For a tart taste, sneak a little grapefruit juice into the blender.

I like a peanut-butter banana flavored smoothie as a frosty treat. Below is my recipe, but you should always experiment with a recipe to your own taste.

Frozen Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

(serves 1)

• 1 cup greek yogurt of choice

• 1 banana, frozen

• 1.5 Tablespoons Nutella or hazelnut spread

• 2 Tablespoons peanut butter or 1 serving peanut-butter protein powder

• Dash of cinnamon

• Pinch of ginger

• ½ cup Milk

Add the yogurt to the blender. Run banana under warm water 30 seconds or until able to peel, peel and add banana to the blender. Add nutella, peanut butter, cinnamon, ginger and milk. Blend on your blender’s frozen fruit setting. If the result is too thick for you, add an additional ¼ cup milk and reblend shortly. Pour and enjoy.

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