Fit 4 Life | Berry-banana blast

We had a blast sharing healthy smoothies with Olympian Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn at her Life Fit Training Centre's Juicy Juice Bar.

Try this delicious berry smoothie and follow the tips below for a great tasting quick meal that is as wholesome and healthy as one could want.

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

1 cup Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Almond Milk

1/2 cup Foska Oats

1/2 Greek yogurt

1 frozen banana

3/4 cup frozen strawberries

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into glass. Serve.

Tips for keeping your smoothies healthy and affordable

1. Use what is in season

Though the recipes might specify fruits or vegetables for the ingredients, feel free to replace them with ones that are cheaper and more readily available. Experiment to find tastes and blends that you like and to keep your meals interesting.

2. Pay attention to serving sizes and calories

Because of the reputation smoothies have for being healthy, people tend to pay little attention to serving sizes and calories. But numerous studies have shown that many popular or commercially available smoothies contain 700 calories or more. Be careful not to pack too much in your smoothies and if you buy smoothies, check the calorie count and serving size.

3. Avoid sweeteners

Adding sweeteners to smoothies is a sure way of turning what should be a healthy meal into a sugar fix. Instead of sweetening, use fruits to give smoothies flavour.

- Marvin Gordon is a fitness coach. Email: marvin.gordon@physiqueandfunction.com; yourhealth@gleanerjm.com