According to my research, smoothies have been around since the 1930s but became popular when the Waring blender was first introduced in the 1940s. It was popularized in the “Waring Blendor Cook Book.”
As a student at UC Berkeley in the ’70s, smoothies were popular in health food stores. They became readily available in coffee shops and smoothie shops across the nation in the 1990s.
What’s a smoothie? It’s a chilled drink that generally blends fruit, (sometimes vegetables), yogurt, ice or water and other flavorings into a frothy beverage. It often includes protein powder or powdered egg whites to up the healthy factor in this revitalizing concoction. And the best part is that it just takes a flick of the wrist to turn on the blender for a yummy, healthful start to your day—Seriously Simple for sure.
Some days my breakfast is simply one of the following recipes. Feel free to add protein powder to either one to amp up the filling factor for a satisfying start to your day.
The Banana Peach Smoothie is a standby I have been making for my daughter since she was young. (Sometimes I change out the frozen peaches for frozen strawberries or mangos.) It is as good for breakfast as it is as an afternoon pick-me-up snack.
The Royal Malewane Morning Smoothie was first served to me at my South African safari camp. It was the perfect invigorating tonic to help me rise at 4 a.m. for the morning safari. I loved the combination of the spinach with the blueberry, pineapple, and apple, along with the surprising chia seeds and fresh mint leaves. It was a bracing drink that I still make today when I need to get going very early in the day.
Banana Peach Smoothie
Serves 6- 3 medium ripe bananas
- 1 pound frozen peaches
- 1 cup ice
- 1/2 nonfat plain or Greek yogurt
- 2 cups milk
- 1 tablespoon honey
Royal Malewane Morning Smoothie
Serves 4- 2 cups of spinach
- 1/2 cup of blueberries
- 1 cup of diced pineapple
- 1 green apple
- 1 1/2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 1/4 cup of mint leaves (or to taste)
- 2 cups water
