Healthy Smoothie Snacks

Smoothies! They are soothing and undeniably tasty. Here are some of the recommended healthy smoothies for your serving.

Papaya-Berry Yogurt Parfaits

Ingredients
3 containers (5.3 ounces each) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
5 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest, plus 1 tablespoon juice
1 piece fresh ginger (about 2 inches)
1 papaya (1 pound), peeled, halved lengthwise, seeds discarded, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 package (6 ounces) fresh blackberries
1 package (6 ounces) fresh raspberries
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint, plus sprigs for garnish
1/2 cup granola

Preparation time - 20 minutes (serves 6)

1. In a small bowl combine yogurt, 3 tablespoons honey, and zest; set aside.

2. Using the large holes of a box grater, grate the ginger (no need to peel) into a small bowl. Squeeze ginger through a fine-meshed sieve or strainer placed over a medium bowl to get a total of 1 tablespoon ginger juice. Discard pulp.
To the bowl with the juice, add remaining 2 tablespoons honey and lemon juice; whisk to combine. Add papaya, blackberries, and raspberries and toss gently to coat.

3. To serve: Spoon half the fruit and juices among six 8-ounce tall glasses. Sprinkle chopped mint over the fruit. Top with half the yogurt mixture and half the granola. Layer with the remaining fruit, yogurt, and granola. Garnish with mint sprigs.

Banana-Yogurt Smoothie

Great source of protein, potassium, calcium, fiber, and omega-3s in a delicious morning shake.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons flaxseeds

1 medium banana (6 ounces)

1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt

1 to 2 teaspoons honey

2/3 cup ice cubes

Preparation Time - approximately 5 minutes

1. Place the flaxseeds in a blender and puree for 30 seconds until they are coarsely ground.

2. Add the banana, yogurt, honey, and ice cubes and puree until smooth and thick. Serve immediately.

Must Have Foods for New Year

Fruits- every family surely have fruits of any kind on their tables in welcoming the New Year. The Mexicans pop a grape for each stroke of midnight. The 12 kinds of Fuits represents a month. If it's bitter, watch out for that month! The pomegranate's many seeds symbolize prosperity. Figs are a symbol of fertility. Chow down on fruit for a healthy sweet treat.

Beans - They resemble coins, ultimately money!Whether you choose black beans, lentils or black-eyes peas, try some healthy fiber-filled beans to soak up that champagne.

5 Calorie-less Foods to Aid Weight Loss

Onions
Onions are very low in calories (just 40 cal per 100 g) and fats; but rich in soluble dietary fiber.

Low in Saturated Fat, Sodium, and Cholesterol. High in Vitamin C, Dietary Fiber, Vitamin B6, Folate and Manganese. Onions are good for weight loss and in maintaining Optimum health.

The more pungent the onion, greater are the chances of finding high concentrations of immunity-promoting phytochemicals apart from immunity-boosters like sulfides.

Lettuce
Crispy green/crimson-red colored lettuce is the most sought after leafy vegetable belongs to the daisy family of Asteraceae.

Lettuce leaves are the store house of many phyto-nutrients that have health promotional and disease prevention properties. It has a very low calorie count. It is primarily composed of inedible fiber and water.

Lettuce is rich with Vitamin A and Beta Carotine that are known to have antioxidant properties. Vitamin A is required for maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin, and is also essential for vision. Lettuce is also loaded with Vitamin K and chlorophyll, apart from vitamins B2, C, A, B1 and folic acid and minerals like manganese and chromium.

Cucumber
The high concentration of caffeic and ascorbic acids of cucumber fasten the overall metabolism and prevent water retention. Lettuce provides just 15 calories per 100 g certainly contains no Saturated fats or cholesterol. Cucumber peel is a good source of dietary fiber that helps reduce constipation, and offers some protection against colon cancers by eliminating toxic compounds from the gut.

Cucumbers have mild diuretic property probably due to their high water and potassium content, which helps in checking weight gain and high blood pressure.

Spinach and Artichoke in Rye Bread

I had the chance to relax at Starbucks last weekend. Instead of the usually sweet cinnamon swirl, I decided to try their Spinach, Artichoke, Mushroom, and Mozzarella on Rye Bread. The taste is divine! The fact that it's a healthy choice is an added bunos. Here's some fact about what I just had for an afternoon snack.

Rye bread - a type of bread made with various percentages of flour from rye grain. It is is typically denser than bread made from wheat flour and has higher fiber than many common types of bread and is often darker in color and stronger in flavor.

Spinach - it has a high nutritional value and is extremely rich in antioxidants, especially when fresh, steamed, or quickly boiled. Like other dark greens, spinach is an excellent source of beta-carotene, a powerful disease-fighting antioxidant that's been shown, among other things, to reduce the risk of developing cataracts. It fights heart disease and cancer as well.

Artichoke - low-calorie, nutrient-rich vegetable. According to the USDA, one medium Artichoke is an excellent source of fiber and vitamin C, and a good source of folate and magnesium. Artichokes also are a natural source of antioxidants.