Smoothies for Dinner

Smoothie: a main dish and a dessert. Sometimes on an especially hot summer evening we have smoothies for dinner — with a side of popcorn, eaten out in the garden, with certain members of the family not even fully clothed.

Hands-On Time: 5 minutes
Ready In: 5 minutes
Yield: 1 serving

1/2 cup fruit slices and/or washed berries, frozen
1/2 cup flavored low-fat yogurt
1 teaspoon ground flax seeds (optional, but nutrient-packed)
1 ice cube

1. For each smoothie portion, whir together in a blender the sliced fruit and/or berries, with the yogurt, flax seeds (if using), and 1 ice cube (if you freeze the yogurt first, you can skip the ice). Half a frozen banana makes it even creamier. We like strawberries, bananas, banana yogurt, and apple juice. Mangoes, bananas, vanilla yogurt, and orange juice. For exceptionally tart fruit, I have been to known to add a tablespoon of maple syrup.