Simple Smoothies

I follow many healthy eating accounts on Instagram, and this is both a good and bad thing. On the one hand they motivate me, inspire me to try new flavours, and prove I can make delicious meals from scratch. On the other hand, it's not the first thing you want to see after you've just devoured a whole leftover Easter egg, or uploaded another photo of a beast of a burger.

I am feeling more and more inspired by them, however, and have an ever-growing awareness of how much better I feel when I eat natural, simple and fresh foods. Now, I'm not saying I'm ready to ditch the Domino's pizza, ready-made sauces and tinned soups forever - life is too busy and they're just too delicious! But by making a few small changes to my diet I just know I'll feel healthier and happier in the long run. This shouldn't be too difficult for me, as my current diet consists primarily of fruit and veg anyway.

One of my first steps with this was to start making smoothies. Smoothies are everywhere; all over Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter! I've always loved them; I used to drink lots of Innocent smoothies, but never really made my own. And of course homemade is always the best way to go.

So last Sunday, armed with a blender, some fruit and some almond milk (healthier, so I'm told!), I made my first natural smoothie. And boy, was it good.

Nothing could be simpler; just chop up your fruit, throw it into the blender, add your milk or juice and hit the power button. Moments later you have a tall glass full of fresh, fruity goodness. The possibilities are endless, too; concoctions of different fruits, milks and even a dollop of yoghurt or some oats and you're good to go. It's such an easy way to get some fresh fruit into your diet.

So far this week I've made three berry and banana smoothies, each a little different from the last. I want to experiment more, and I know more seasoned healthy eaters will be scoffing at the simplicity of my choices, but it's a good start, and it's better than buying them!

Here's what I used for my really simple Berry & Banana Smoothie:

1 ripe banana, chopped

1/3 glass frozen berries (blackberries, redcurrants, blackcurrants, strawberries)

5 large strawberries, chopped

1/2 glass unsweetened almond milk

Chuck it all in a blender, whizz until smooth, and enjoy.

It's foolproof!

Later in the week I added a dollop of fat-free Greek-style coconut yoghurt, which made it so creamy, and I made another with fresh blueberries too.

The smoothies are even more refreshing when you use frozen fruit, so I'm looking to invest in some more frozen tubs of berries, mango and other delights to add in. I think it'll be perfect for the summer, and always ready to use! I want to try adding flaked nuts, oats or dessicated coconut, and even a cheeky scoop of Nutella for a treat.

Are you a smoothie fan? What's your favourite flavour?