Healthy Recipe: Grilled Halibut with Mediterranean Salsa

Ingredients

Yield: 4 servings

Salsa
1 pound plum tomatoes, chopped
1 cup chopped arugula1 large shallot, finely chopped
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Juice from 1 medium lemon
1 can (15 ounces) Northern beans, rinsed and drained1 small jar capers (approximately 3 ounces), drained
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Fish
4 (6-ounce) halibut steaks
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste, optional

Fresh lemon slices, for garnish

Directions

Combine all the salsa ingredients together in a bowl and mix. Refrigerate for at least one hour.
Brush fish with olive oil (both sides); sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill over medium high heat for 4 minutes per side or until fish flakes easily. Serve topped with salsa and garnished with fresh lemon slices.

Nutritional Information Per Serving
(1 halibut steak plus approximately ¾ cup salsa)
Food Weight: 4.0, Calories: 412, Fat: 11 g, Cholesterol: 54 mg, Sodium: 692 mg,Carbohydrate: 16 g, Dietary Fiber: 5 g, Sugars: 3 g, Protein: 40 g

 

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Want nutritional guidance that is in-step with your fitness regimen? FT Studios give a full 360 degree fitness program that includes nutritional advice with personal and customized fitness instruction. To find a Fitness Together Studio near you go to FTGetsResults

Ryan Reynolds: From Geek to Green Lantern. How’d He Do That?

by Martha Hicks Leta

Ryan Reynolds is one of those actors who gets way more attention for his physique than his acting abilities. He could knock Hamlet’s soliloquy clean out of the park and most of us would still be thinking, “Dang, boy, just look at those abs!” So what’s he doing that we’re not doing? Turns out, not much. Ryan Reynolds’ pre-action-hero routine pretty much includes the stuff FT clients are already doing, just dialed up a few clicks. Okay, a lot of clicks. The thing is, most of us mortals don’t have the time or inclination to spend this much time on ourselves and, thankfully, most of us don’t have careers that depend on looking fabulous in a unitard. Still, a look at this routine reinforces what the good people at Fitness Together have been telling clients all along: real fitness requires a regular commitment to diet, cardio and weight training. Every week, 3-5 times. This is where the real gains are made.

So, lets have a look-see at what the Talented Mr. Ripped is doing that we’re doing, or being advised to do, at least.

Ryan Reynolds’ Diet Plan

1. Eat More Smaller Meals Reynolds’ objective was to gain lean muscle mass. Lots of it. So instead of shoveling down three gut busters a day, he ate smaller portioned meals every 2 or three hours. By doing this, his body gets just the right amount of food it can metabolize and doesn’t go into fat-storing mode. For us civilians, having more, smaller meals mean fewer spikes in blood sugar and few cravings that can lead to over-indulging.
2. Prepare Home Cooked Food If you didn’t hate the guy enough already, apparently Reynolds likes to cook his own food, and he’s good at it , too. He’ll prepare his own food ahead of time and freeze it if necessary. The point here is that good eating takes a bit of planning. Too many of us are eating on the fly and though we might think we’re making smarter choices at the sandwich counter, these foods have hidden carbs, fats, sugars and preservatives. Prepare your own food and you know just what you’re getting.
3. No More Carbs after 8PM ‘Nuff said there.

Ryan Reynolds’ Workout Plan

1. Do Abs First Hey! We do that, too! Doing ab exercises first zeroes in on your core, which is where you need your focus to stay in order to protect your back and perform other exercises correctly.
2. Lift Heavier Weight to Bulk Up I’ve been to enough half-baked fitness classes to know that flailing around with dainty little hand weights doesn’t do diddly squat for the bat wing flab. In order to build muscle, you need to challenge the muscle. Most of us don’t know how to do this correctly on our own, or we don’t push ourselves hard enough, but the good people at FT sure do. The next time you’re struggling through those goblet presses, remember what a horrible mess you were after that first workout and congratulate yourself for building strength, muscle and endurance.
3. Six Days Weekly and Once Muscle Group Each Day Yeah, no. Personally, I’m drawing the line there. Having said that, our FT trainers are pretty swift about helping us get the most out of our workouts. If you’re on a twice weekly schedule, you know you’re going to get your uppers hit hard one day and your lowers the next. If you’re able to train three times weekly, your workout effectiveness is going to increase exponentially. Regardless, we all need to be sure to get those extra workouts in, whether it’s taking the dog for a run before work in the morning, bike riding after dinner or kayaking on the weekends.

For more about Ryan Reynolds’ training program and some eye-popping photos, go HERE.

You might want to turn up the air conditioning first, though.

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For our own FT Success Stories, homegrown and obviously out of the glare of those Hollywood lights, though no less remarkable and life-changing, go to FTGetsResults

Fructose and Blood Pressure

As clipped from Livestrong.com by the staff of FT Cohasset

Overview

Fructose is both a natural sugar and a manufactured sweetener that is a major constituent in goods like sodas, processed foods, breads and desserts. A pediatric endocrinologist with the University of California San Francisco says fructose consumption in the United States is an epidemic. As an added sugar, Dr. Robert Lustig says, fructose is a “primary contributor” to human disease, including hypertension.

Facts on Fructose

Fructose is a simple sugar found naturally in honey and in the juices of many fruits. It’s also known as levulose. Fructose is also artificially created. Food and beverage makers add it to a variety of products to sweeten, thicken, stabilize, brown, raise or preserve them. You probably know it as the main ingredient in the controversial high-fructose corn syrup, a ubiquitous added sugar implicated in obesity, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, high blood pressure and chronic kidney disease.

Blood Pressure

Blood pressure refers to the amount of force pressed against the walls of your arteries. Blood pressure is measured in mmHg, or millimeters of mercury. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute advises that a healthy reading for blood pressure is at or below 120/80 mmHg. A reading higher than that puts you in a prehypertensive state, and if your blood pressure reading surpasses 140/90, you’ve entered stage 1 hypertension. High blood pressure is a risk for heart disease because it causes your heart to work too hard and get too little rest. In addition, hypertension can stretch and weaken your blood vessels, which allows plaques to build up and block blood flow. A full one-third of American adults have high blood pressure, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says, and some scientists think the increasing consumption of fructose-sweetened food and beverages plays a role in this health problem.

Fructose and Hypertension

In a review of existing data, a group of kidney researchers publishing in the December 2010 “Journal of the American Society of Nephrology” said fructose intake was significantly correlated with the presence of elevated blood pressure and, a step further, “fructose-rich drinks” raise blood pressure. For example, the authors noted that in their previous research, administering 200 g of fructose daily for two weeks significantly raised blood pressure in men, and just 60 g — the equivalent of two 12-oz. soft drinks — just one time was enough to raise blood pressure in otherwise healthy young adults. The group concluded that excessive fructose consumption ought to be considered an “environmental toxin with major health implications.”

Possible Mechanisms

The way the body metabolizes fructose may explain why it has an effect on blood pressure. Although most fructose travels directly to your liver by way of a special transporter, a small portion also travels through your kidneys. There it can raise uric acid levels. Uric acid is a waste product that goes through your kidneys as your body tries to break down certain foods. Uric acid is often an early warning for hypertension. Researchers publishing in the April 2011 “Hypertension” further explained that uric acid may in turn lower your levels of nitric oxide, a chemical compound that plays a role in keeping your blood vessels dilated. Moreover, they explained, sugar consumption has been linked to excess sodium retention.

Read more

Fitness Together Cohasset

Where’s Your Committment?

Take a Hard Look at Your Commitment to Your Health

“Commitment” is a word we use often here at Fitness Together. To be honest it is the number one thing we look for in potential clients.  In order to receive results in fitness we suggest our clients commit to strength training a certain amount each week, perform cardiovascular exercise for a given time each week and pay attention to their eating habits and make healthy modifications if it is necessary.

Everyone has a different situation but we generally recommend a minimum of three training sessions per week (we’d prefer 4 or 5) and four to six days of cardiovascular exercise (and no, gardening does not count as cardio).  Now lets suppose you were training three days per week and doing cardio for 30 minutes after each of your sessions.   Understand that the average number of sessions per week for a typical Fitness Together client (world wide) is 1.7 sessions.  So I am being very generous suggesting three sessions and three days of cardio.

Scenario Stats:
There are 10,080 minutes in a week.  If you were training as frequently as what is suggested above you would be exercising for 225 minutes per week.  This is 2.23% of your week.  What are you doing with the other 97.77% of your week.

This should be a bit of an eye opener.  Most clients would probably get good results committing to exercise for 3% of their week, which really isn’t a lot, but yet this is very rarely accomplished.  When I ask potential clients what their goals are they often show me a photo of a celebrity body or say they want to look like a certain trainer.  I can promise you that those particular trainers aren’t training 2.23% of their week.

Like a lot of other things in life, results from exercise are often determined by what you put into it.  The only way anyone will receive results from 1-2% effort is by LUCK.  Personally I wouldn’t leave my health in the hands of luck.  Luck is for rabbits!  Think about your commitment to your own health and ask yourself if you are putting in enough effort to receive the results you are hoping for.

We don’t suggest that you work out as often as your trainer, although some of our clients make a good effort at doing that.  Lets start by adding 1% of time to your exercise routine.   The average American spends 12.5% (3 hours a day) of their time watching TV each week.  Surely we can all take 1% of that time and add it to our health!

In Health,
Michael Cardoza. Vice President Operations
Fitness Together Dedham, Cohasset, Norwell, Westborough
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Michael Cardoza
Michael has been with Fitness Together since 2003. Michael started with Fitness Together as the manager of Dedham and has also managed the Norwell and Westborough studios. Before taking on the Vice President role Michael was the Area Director for Lifestyle Fitness Corp. Lifestyle Fitness Corp. owns and operates Fitness Together studios in Dedham, Cohasset, Norwell and Westborough.

Michael has been a certified personal trainer since 2001. He earned a finance degree from Bentley College and a master’s degree from the University of London (North London Campus). He believes staying fit requires a lifestyle commitment. He feels a balance of strength training, cardiovascular training and healthy nutrition are the key elements to staying healthy. Michael has been active his entire life. He was a three sport athlete in high school and played soccer at the collegiate level. Now, he prefers staying active through strength training, triathlon and any other outdoor activities.

FT Cohassett

FT Dedham

FT Norwell

FT Westborough

A full list of our other studios across New England is at FTGetsResults

Meals In Public Schools: The Overview

Here’s the overview of the Nutrition Standards approved by the Mass Public Health Council and are to go into effect by August of this year.

This overview was prepared by Lauren Smith, M.D., Medical Director in February for Commissioner Auerbach and Members of the Massachusetts Public Health Council

Introduction

Recently enacted M.G.L. c. 111, s. 223 requires the Department to promulgate regulations establishing standards for competitive foods and beverages sold or provided in public schools. In response, Department staff, in cooperation with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), now proposes regulations included as Attachment A, Nutrition Standards for Competitive Foods in Public Schools, 105 CMR 225.000.

The statute specifies many of the provisions to be contained in the regulations. In addition, the regulations are based on the Institute of Medicine’s Nutrition Standards for Foods in Schools (2007), which contain specific recommendations for the provision of healthy foods in schools. Department staff also has drawn from a variety of source materials, including recommendations of Massachusetts Public Health Association, Massachusetts Action for Healthy Kids, Alliance for a Healthier Generation and other national and state standards.

The goal of the proposed regulations is to ensure that public schools offer students food and beverage choices that will enhance learning, contribute to their healthy growth and development, and cultivate lifelong healthy eating behaviors. The proposed regulations are part of the Commonwealth’s broad-based, collaborative initiative to reduce childhood obesity. For example, this initiative complements Massachusetts’ regulations for BMI screening in public schools (105 CMR 200.000: Physical Examination of School Children), adopted earlier this year.

Background

Overweight/obesity is a public health issue that has reached epidemic proportions in the Commonwealth, and has become a strategic priority for the Department. Negative trends in nutrition and physical activity behaviors are at the center of the growing epidemic (The Health of Massachusetts, 2010).  Of special concern is the rise in childhood obesity in Massachusetts. Among low- to moderate-income families, more than one-third of children between the ages of two and five years who participate in the WIC Program are overweight (15.4%) or at risk of becoming overweight (18.4%).[i]  The 2009 Youth Health Survey (YHS) shows that 17% of middle school students were overweight and 10% are obese.[ii] In the same year, 11% of high school students were reported to be obese and 15% were overweight.[iii]  These rates far exceed the national Healthy People goal of 5%.

State data show that the burden of obesity and its underlying risk factors disproportionately affect Black and Hispanic and low income youth and adolescents throughout Massachusetts.  For example, at the high school level, 18% of Black and 15% of Hispanic students are obese, as compared to 9% of their White counterparts[iv].

The YHS and YRBS data is obtained through self report.  Analysis of actual Body Mass Index (BMI) screening data demonstrates that the problem is even more prevalent. Of the 109,674 public school students in grades 1, 4, 7 and 10 who were screened in 2008-2009, 16.9% were overweight, and 17.3% were obese. The rates of overweight and obesity varied substantially by town and were strongly correlated with median family income at the city or town level.[v]

Diet appears to be a significant factor in these trends. In 2009, only 19% of middle school students reported consuming the CDC recommended three or more servings of vegetables each day, and more than one in four reported consuming no vegetables.  In MA high schools that same year, only 14% of students ate five or more servings of fruits and vegetables daily[vi].

Finally, of particular note is the concern for children with disabilities and special health care needs.  While this special segment of children have experienced dramatic improvements in health status in recent years, thanks to advances in medical care and improved access to quality health services, the obesity epidemic has the potential to slow the advances that children with special health care needs have made.[vii]

Proposed Standards

The proposed nutrition standards are spelled out on this website here. The standards would require all public schools to meet nutritional standards for competitive foods and beverages sold or provided to public school students during the school day. In accordance with the enabling statute, the proposed regulations would also require that public schools:

• make available water to all students, without charge;
• offer for sale fresh fruits and non-fried vegetables at any location where food is sold, except in non-refrigerated vending machines and vending machines offering only beverages;
• make nutrition information available to students for non-prepackaged competitive foods and beverages, in accordance with Department guidelines. This specific standard would take effect on August 1, 2013; and
• prohibit use of fryolators for competitive foods.

The proposed regulations define competitive foods as including all those sold or made available in public schools, with the exception of those foods sold as part of a federal nutrition program. The regulations are to apply to competitive foods and beverages sold or provided on school grounds, except those sold or provided up to 30 minutes before the opening of the school day or 30 minutes after the end of the school day. This exception, however, would not apply to foods and beverages sold by vending machines, which would have to comply with the standards at all times.

The proposed regulations specify the types of beverages that can be sold or provided, and establish standards for beverages with respect to sugar content and serving size. The proposed regulations also would establish limits for competitive foods with respect to calories, fat, saturated fat, and trans fat, as well as sugar, artificial sweeteners, sodium, and caffeine. The proposed regulations also would set standards for whole-grain products.

A supporting document, Guidance for Implementing Massachusetts School Nutrition Standards, will be published once the final regulations are approved.  This document is intended to offer clarification to schools with regard to implementing the regulations and will include the following topic areas:

• an easy-to-read chart of the guidelines with examples for each category;
• a list of foods and beverages that meet the guidelines (similar to the MA Action for Healthy Kids “A List” of approved foods and beverages);alternatives for school fund-raising activities;
• recommendations to create and support a healthy school environment; and
• a rationale for selected nutrition standards.

Implementation of the Massachusetts School Nutrition Standards will be enhanced through additional state level activities, mandated by c. 111, s. 223 and coordinated between MDPH and DESE, including, but not limited to:

• training of public school nurses in childhood obesity, eating disorders, behavioral health, type 2 diabetes, BMI screening, and making nutritional/behavioral referrals;
• training in nutrition and diet for school nutrition personnel;
• assessment of a school’s capacity, resources and equipment to prepare and provide recommended foods;the establishment of school-based wellness committees;
• the establishment of a Governor-appointed Commission on School Nutrition and Childhood Obesityto provide guidance and oversight;promotion of, and facilitation in the procurement of locally-grown products; and
• providing technical assistance and educational resources.

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[i] PedNSS, 2007

[ii] Massachusetts Youth Health Survey (YHS), MDPH, Bureau of Community Health Access and Promotion, 2009

[iii] Massachusetts Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), MA Department of Education,  2009

[iv] Massachusetts YRBS 2009

[v] The Status of Childhood Weight in Massachusetts, 2009, MA Department of Public Health

[vi] Massachusetts YHS and YRBS 2009

[vii] Aviva Must, Ph.D., Department of Public Health and Family Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine

Mass School Lunch Guidelines: The Full Text

For all of you who want to peruse the fine and detailed print.

These are the proposals passed by the Mass Public Health Council

105 CMR: DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH

105 CMR 225.000: Nutrition Standards for Competitive Foods and Beverages in Public Schools

225.001: Purpose

The purpose of 105 CMR 225.000 is to establish nutrition standards for competitive foods and beverages sold or provided in public schools. The goal of the regulations is to ensure that students are offered nutritious food and beverage choices that will enhance learning, contribute to healthy growth and development, and cultivate lifelong healthy eating behaviors.

225.002: Scope and Application

In accordance with section 223 of Chapter 111 of the General Laws, 105 CMR 225.000 establishes nutrition standards for competitive foods and beverages sold or provided in public schools. These standards shall take effect on August 1, 2012.

225.003: Definitions

A la carte entree means a single food or combination of foods offered as a main course or central focus of a meal, generally a protein source.

Artificial sweeteners means substances added to food or beverages to provide a sweet taste while providing few or no additional calories, including aspartame, sucralose, acesufame-K, neotame, sugar alcohols and saccharin.

Competitive foods or beverages means all foods or beverages sold or provided in public schools, other than non-sweetened carbonated water and those items sold or provided as part of federal nutrition programs such as the School Breakfast Program, School Lunch Program, and the Child and Adult Care School Breakfast Program, including those offered in:

(1) school cafeterias;
(2) school stores;
(3) school snack bars;
(4) vending machines;
(5) concession stands;
(6) booster sales;
(7) fundraising activities;
(8) school-sponsored or school-related events; and
(9) any other location in public schools.

Fresh means not being altered by processing or preserving, and retaining original properties, without spoilage.

Grain-based products means food products whose primary ingredient is grain, including pasta, crackers, granola bars, chips and bakery items.

Low-fat means 3 grams or less per Reference Amount Customarily Consumed (RACC) standards established by the federal Food and Drug Administration.

Natural flavorings means the essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydroplysate, distillate, or any product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis, which contains the flavoring constituents derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material, meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products thereof, whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional.

Nutrition standards means the minimum standards for beverage and food nutrition established in these regulations.

Public school means an elementary, middle, high, charter, innovation or comparable school operated by a public school district or board of trustees pursuant to Chapter 71 of the General Laws.

Reduced fat means at least 25% less fat per Reference Amount Customarily Consumed (RACC) than an appropriate reference food.

School day means the hours of the day that students must attend school.

Sweetener means a substance derived from natural products that is added to food or beverages to provide a sweet taste. Such a substance may be nutritive or nonnutritive. A nutritive sweetener may be either naturally occurring, such as honey, or refined from plants, such as sugar from sugar cane. Nonnutritive sweeteners include products that may be regarded as natural, such as stevia.

Trans fat-free means less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per item, or as otherwise specified by the federal Food and Drug Administration.

Whole grains means grains or the foods made from them that contain all the essential parts and naturally occurring nutrients of the entire grain seed. If the grain has been processed, the food product should deliver approximately the same balance of nutrients found in the original grain seed. For purposes of these regulations, whole grains shall include grains which are at least 51% whole grain or which have whole grain as the first ingredient on the label.

225.100: General Nutrition Standards for Public Schools

(A) All competitive foods and beverages sold or provided in public schools shall comply with the nutrition standards of 105 CMR 225.000; provided, however, that unless otherwise determined by the public school district or board of trustees, these standards shall not apply to competitive foods and beverages sold on school grounds up to 30 minutes before the beginning of the school day or 30 minutes after the end of the school day. This exception shall not apply to competitive foods sold through vending machines, which shall comply with these standards at all times.

(B)Public schools shall, in accordance with applicable guidelines of the Department:

(1) make readily available plain, potable water to all students during the day, at no cost to the students;

(2) offer for sale fresh fruit and non-fried vegetables at any location where food is sold, but not including non-refrigerated vending machines and vending machines dispensing only beverages; provided, however, that the Department may establish through guidelines products made from fresh fruits and vegetables which may be sold or provided as fresh fruits and vegetables for purposes of these regulations;

(3) make nutrition information available for students for non-prepackaged competitive foods and beverages by August 1, 2013. This requirement shall not apply to the sale or provision of fresh fruits or fresh vegetables, and foods or beverages sold during the school day at booster sales, concession stands and other school-sponsored or school-related fundraisers and events;

(4) prohibit the use of fryolators in the preparation of competitive foods; and

(5) ensure that food preparation and all foods and beverages sold or provided to students meet all applicable state and federal food safety requirements.

225.200: Specific Nutrition Standards for Competitive Foods in Public Schools

(A) Beverages

(1) Juice . (a)All juice shall be made of 100% fruit or vegetable juice, with no added sugar. (b) Servings of juice for students in elementary and middle schools shall be no more than four (4) ounces. Servings of juice for students in high schools shall be no more than eight (8) ounces.

(2) Milk and Milk Substitutes. (a) All milk and milk substitutes, which include alternative milk beverages such as lactose-free and soy milk, shall be fat free or low-fat (1% or less). (b) All milk and milk substitutes shall meet the USDA definitions and standards for fluid milk and milk substitutes. (c) Servings of milk and milk substitutes shall be no more than eight (8) ounces. (d) Flavored milk and flavored milk substitutes shall have no more than 22 grams of sugar per 8 ounces.

(3) Water. Water shall contain no added sugars, sweeteners or artificial sweeteners, but may contain natural flavorings and/or carbonation.

(4) Beverages with added sugar or sweeteners. Any beverages with added sugar or sweeteners not already prohibited in section 225.200 will be phased out by August 1, 2013; provided, however, that a public school may provide or sell flavored milk or milk substitutes that contain the same amount or less sugar than plain fat-free or low-fat milk.

(5) Other Beverages. No beverages other than juice, milk, milk substitutes and water shall be sold or provided.

(B)Food

(1) Calories. Foods shall not exceed 200 calories per item, with the exception of a la carte entrees, which shall not exceed the calorie count of comparable National School Lunch Program entree items.

(2) Fat. No food shall contain more than 35% of its total calories from fat, except as provided in 105 CMR 225.200 (B)(4) below.

(3) Saturated Fat. No food shall contain more than 10% of its total calories from saturated fat, except as provided in 105 CMR 225.200(B)(4) below.

(4) Exceptions to standards on fat and saturated fat content. Regardless of the limits established above in 105 CMR 225.200(B) for fat and saturated fat content, schools may provide or sell up to one (1) ounce of nuts, nut butters, seeds or reduced fat cheese.

(5) Trans Fat. All foods shall be trans fat-free.

(6) Sugar. No food shall contain more than 35% of its total calories from total sugars; provided, however, that a public school may provide or sell: (a) non-fat or low-fat yogurt, including drinkable yogurt, which contains a maximum of 30 grams of total sugars per 8 ounce packaged serving; (b) 100% fruit with no added sugar.

(7) Sodium. No food shall contain more than 200 mg of sodium per item, with the exception of a la carte entrees, which shall not contain more than 480 mg of sodium per item.

(8) Grains. All bread and other grain-based products shall be comprised of whole grains.

(C) Food and Beverages

(1) Artificial sweeteners. No food or beverage shall contain an artificial sweetener.

(2) Caffeine. No food or beverage shall contain more than trace amounts of caffeine.

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More from Mass.Gov

Chill & Thrill: Healthy Smoothie Recipes

As clipped by the trainers of FT Dedham from Epicurious

Collected by Megan O. Steintrager from Bon Apetit Magazine

This summer is just sweltering. I still have to eat, so I am happy that the replacement blender for the one I recently broke arrived on my doorstep a few days ago — I can get back to making smoothies! A thick yogurt-based, fruit-sweetened shake is one of my favorite summer breakfasts, or post-exercise energy foods. While store-bought and chain-restaurant smoothies can have eight-bazillion hidden calories and a ton of sugar, it’s easy to keep your smoothies healthy when you make them at home. I tend to just dump a bunch of ingredients (yogurt, frozen banana and other fruit, peanut butter) in the blender and see what happens, but if you’re counting calories — or care about consistent results — measure the ingredients in the healthy smoothie recipes below:

Energy Shake
Kale is the secret, super-nutritious ingredient in this luscious and green smoothie. You don’t need a juicer to make this sweet, smooth drink, which is rich in vitamins A and C—a blender can puree the fibrous kale and s oft kiwi and banana.

yield: Makes 2 servings
active time: 10 minutes
total time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups fresh orange juice
• 1 banana, peeled, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup (packed) coarsely chopped kale leaves, center stalk and stem removed
• 1/2 kiwi, peeled
• 2 pitted medjool dates, coarsely chopped

Test kitchen tip: Freeze the banana for a colder, thicker beverage.

Preparation
Combine orange juice, banana, chopped kale, kiwi, and chopped dates in blender. Puree until smooth, stopping and scraping down sides of blender as needed. Divide between two 12-ounce glasses and serve.

Read More

Berry-Yogurt Smoothie
Low-fat yogurt and milk provide calcium and protein and make this smoothie substantial and satisfying. This low-fat drink couldn’t be easier to make. It has a thick, creamy texture produced by pureeing the frozen berries. No ice cubes necessary.

yield: Makes 2 servings

Ingredients

• cup frozen unsweetened raspberries
• 1 cup frozen unsweetened blackberries
• 1 8-ounce container vanilla yogurt
• 1 cup reduced-fat (2%) milk
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon grated orange peel
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Large pinch of ground cinnamon

Preparation
Combine all ingredients in blender. Blend until thick and smooth, about 2 minutes. Pour into 2 large glasses and serve immediately.

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Strawberry-Watermelon Smoothie
This light, hydrating dairy-free smoothie is a great source of vitamin C and cancer-fighting lycopene. Fresh ginger gives this a zesty kick.

yield: Makes 2 servings

Ingredients

• 3 cups 1-inch cubes seeded watermelon
• 2 cups frozen quartered hulled strawberries
• 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

Preparation
Combine all ingredients in blender and process until smooth. Divide smoothie between 2 glasses and serve.

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Mango and Passion Fruit Smoothie
Researchers have discovered that drinking a slushie (or slurry) before exercise can help keep you cool and increase performance, according to the 2010 article To Beat the Heat, Drink a Slushie First from The New York Times. This icy smoothie would fit the bill nicely. Not to be confused with coconut milk, coconut water is the tart liquid found in the center of young coconuts.

yield: Makes 2 servings

Ingredients

• 2 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled mango
• 2 cups crushed ice
• 5 tablespoons strained passion fruit juice (from about 8 passion fruits; seeds discarded)
• 1/4 cup coconut water (such as Vita Coco)
• 1 teaspoon honey

Preparation
Combine all ingredients in blender and process until smooth. Divide smoothie between 2 glasses and serve.

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Peach, Soy, and Almond Smoothie
Whole almonds and almond milk flavor this dairy-free smoothie. To make it vegan, substitute agave for — or omit — the honey.

yield: Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups diced pitted peaches
• 1 cup nonfat vanilla soy milk
• 1 cup ice cubes
• 8 natural almonds with skin, chopped
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• Chopped almonds (for garnish)

Preparation
Combine peaches, soy milk, ice cubes, almonds, honey, and extract in blender. Puree until smooth. Pour smoothie into 2 glasses. Top each smoothie with chopped almonds and serve.

Read More

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Find more healthy smoothie recipes on Epicurious; plus find out whether frozen yogurt is really healthy from Gourmet Live.

Visit FTGetsResults for the full list of Fitness Together Studios in your area and our current special deals.