How to Make a Delicious Healthy Frosty Meal-in-a-Glass

Perhaps this type recipe should not be truly called 'frosty' because that is thought to contain ice cream, and this does not. It could of course, but the ingredients I like using are fruits for varied flavor, eggs for protein, plain or flavored yogurt and or cottage cheese, sometimes nuts and or oats, or additional protein whey powders and green foods powder. Ice may be used as you prefer for your tastebuds. Because I use 'natural' eggs, I should remind you that the drink should be consumed at the time of its making to prevent any bacterial contamination to increase and possibly cause illness. This would be true of any egg use, however.

The ease of making simply delicious liquid meals is that you may use whatever you have on hand, even canned fruits. The liquid meal requires cold ingredients or/and ice, usable in a blender, or other strong type kitchen appliance. I have a Vita Mix but (shhh) usually just use my blender for smaller servings for one or two.

You will need to:

1. pick your fruit base using one or several;

2. decide the protein of choice for nutritive value and thickening too;

3. the addition of ice or not;

4. any needed sweetening preferred, though I do not usually add any unless using lots of lemon, and then I

5. use stevia or occasionally xylitol. Remember the fruits contain fruit-sugar called fructose and we want to escape the use of refined sugar for health sake. Honey may also be used as well as maple syrup or molasses in such concoctions as banana-coffee or apple/peach spice if you really need a little sugar push.

When you examine all the fruits available in our global provision, there are an amazing variation and all are delicious. You will have preferences before and after making your own frosties, and that may well change as you discover newer delightful combinations of fruits.

A partial list of available fruits could contain: Strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, blackberry, gooseberry, grapes of several types: Cherry, apricot, peach, nectarine, plum: Banana, orange, coconut, pineapple, guava, mango, kiwi, apples, pears. And...tomato!

I grow my own mint which is delightful as garnish. A small amount of parsley is good to add for its glutathione antioxidant properties, but it is strong flavored so go easy till you know what you like. Celery gives little flavor but adds needed fiber and lots of liquid and I often use it.

I will also often add a powdered Green Food by Springboard which has excellent fruit and veggie properties and lots of nutrient value. Will also use their Red Food which is just that -red fruits and veggies with blood-cleansing nutrient properties and great taste. Their products are available at www.SB3.com, and the company is based in California. (This is the same company that produces the transdermal cremes for skin-absorbed nutrition as mentioned in my hub regarding skin nutrition for autistic children.)

Other thickening agents are dried oats, which need to be first ground before adding to the liquid part of the smoothie. Also nuts, especially almonds, pecans and walnuts, which also need to be ground or finely chopped. Once in a while when I need more thickening for the smoothie, I will add a graham cracker or two to stiffen up the liquid. Consider that this too would add some sugar.  Dried apricots or peaches are great thickeners too but generally give heavier texture in a blender.  Vita Mix would just thicken it all smoothly.  Delicious either way!

Thickening agents are not absolutely necessary since some people prefer a juicier meal-in-a-glass. If you are using banana, these are one of the best fruit thickeners. When you use cottage cheese it is a secondary thickener, somewhat depending on the dryness of the curd. Yogurt is a litttle looser than the cheese action in the frosty.

It is feasible to freeze natural juices or fruit purees into cubes and use them as part of the liquid or flavoring for the frosty. May also freeze coffee or herbal tea for the same use, but especially coffee is so strong flavored that not many fruits will match its strength. If you use an herbal tea, make it strong for freezing the cubes. Banana does go well with coffee and a dash of cinnamon brightens it up while assisting your blood sugar too.

Two ripe bananas

1 cup fresh strawberries

Two raw eggs

1 cup cottage cheese

1 scoop Red Food powder, or you may substitude any whey or rice protein powder you have on hand. (Or use the graham cracker or oats thickening, or the nuts if desired.)

1/2 cup unsweetened cranberry juice, very cold or even frozen and slightly softened.

1/8 teaspoon stevia powder, because the cranberry juice is quite deliciously sour.

Juice of one lemon, if desired. I like it tart!

Put the lemon juice, cranberry juice, eggs , strawberries and cottage cheese in the blender and mix it til the cottage cheese is 'invisible'. Add the other ingredients and mix briefly but well. Pour into chilled glasses and enjoy!

One ripe banana

3/4 cup cottage cheese

1 cup pineapple, chunks or crushed, doesn't matter. Do use pineapple canned in its own juice. I have not used fresh pineapple with this particular smoothie, but if it should curdle it would still be tasty! Best chilled.

One raw natural egg

One scoop of Green Foods. This will add nutrients and GREEN color!

Squeeze of 1/4 of an orange. Eat the leftover squishy stuff, including some of the pith, which contains higher amounts of vitamin C than the juice.

Add all ingredients to blender and mix well. Pour into chilled glass and slurp politely down enjoying it to the last drop! Yum!

This bright yellow fluffy smoothie is delightful to start the day. I add the celery for fiber and juiciness, as it is not tasteable but gives a bit of texture to the smoothie. Neither did I add any cottage cheese for this recipe, but it may be added if desired.

Ingredients: 1 large mango

1 small ripe banana

Chunks of chilled cantaloupe to match the amount of mango.

1/4 cup unsweetened cranberry juice. I usually use orange juice but had the cranberry that needed to be used up.

1 small scoop of protein powder

2 natural eggs

1 large rib of celery

1/2 teaspoon liquid minerals, humic type or whatever you prefer

Chopped almonds or pecans are delicious topping this drink. If you wish more chewy texture add them in with the protein powder.

Pour the cranberry juice into blender and add eggs, minerals, and celery. Mix well til eggs are slightly frothy. Add mango (which you have been peeling as the blender goes) and cantaloupe chunks and banana. Add in the protein powder and set blender on high for a few seconds. This smoothie is fluffier than the other two above without the cottage cheese protein.

Pour into chilled glass and have a bright delicious morning drink.

Natural, organic or cage free eggs are a nutrient dense source and contain the good type of cholesterol, so they are a valuable component of our food.  Very best eggs are those from chickens eating bugs and worms, with a good type feed available.  Brown or white color of the shell does not make a difference.

However if egg or cow milk allergies trouble you, there are several products available as substitutes for thickening the smoothie, albeit not affording the complete nutrition or protein value of the eggs and milk.  Fresh goat milk is excellent, but all canned sources I have used are not complimentery to my taste.

Swanson Vitamins @ www.swanvitamins.com or www.vitacost.com both carry nutrient powders of varied styles. There is the new coconut flour that should add to a pineapple smoothie. There is a rice powder formula for the same use and it has little self-taste so its blandness would go with any fruit combination. There is also a fairly new pea protein powder but expectedly that will add more non-fruit flavor - yet plenty of protein factors to your meal.

The frosty snack or meal is so simple to make. They are delightfully variable in that the combinations are almost endless as to what you may enjoy. It isn't all about simplicity or ease, but it certainly can be a helpful inducement. Try one, you'll love it!