I never thought I’d say this, but my husband has bought a whole fruit juicer.
This, from the guy who didn’t know what an apricot was when I first met him, and whose main diet consisted of frozen pizzas.
My husband bought a juicer!!
Here’s how it went down: I woke up one weekend and came downstairs. I found my hubby in his usual spot – at our kitchen table, on his computer. He looked up and said, “I think I want to make juices at home.”
I thought he was kidding.
But then he talked about how he’s had whole fruit juices (the kind where the fruit is blended down so much it literally ends up being like a thick juice or a thinner smoothie), and how he thought that would be a good way for him to get some additional fruits/veggies into his diet.
I still thought he wouldn’t go through with it, but then a week later, he bought a Ninja - which is basically a cheaper version of a VitaMix.
It’s actually really awesome because it’s all dishwasher safe, and comes with a ton of smoothie cups (where you can blend the fruits right inside). Oh and it can also be used for any food-processing needs (like making purees, or baby food, or dough, or spreads/dips, etc.)
So there he was, my husband, with his Ninja, making smoothies in our kitchen. He’s made quite a few varieties, but this one in particular has turned out to be amazing: his Strawberry Smoothie Recipe. Of course, I have a few modifications to the recipe – more like alternate versions you can also try at home.
First up: The Husband’s Strawberry Smoothie
You will need: 1 pear, 6 strawberries (frozen or fresh), one pineapple wedge/spear, a few splashes of ice water and a couple ice cubes. Put it all in a blender and blend until smooth.
Now – The Wife’s Modifications: For the Strawberry Smoothie, there are a few add-ins that will amp-up the nutritional value even further if you want more protein or fiber.
#1: Add 1 Tbsp Chia Seeds (2g protein, 5g fiber) – they blend in almost perfectly, so you barely taste them
#2: Add 1/2 cup to 1 cup unsweetened vanilla soy milk (for some added protein – 4g-9g, depending on whether you use 1/2 cup or 1 cup)
#3: Add 1/2 cup 1% organic milk (for those of you who like the milkshake feel, and want a bit more protein – 4g)
The husband’s version of this smoothie has about 150 calories and 7g fiber.
The Modifications:
- If you add in chia seeds, that’s an extra 50 calories, 2g protein and 5g fiber (total: 200 calories, 12g fiber, 2g protein)
- If you add in 1/2 cup soy milk, that’s an extra 45 calories and 4g protein (total: ~200 calories, 7g fiber, 4g protein)
- If you add in 1/2 cup 1% organic milk, that’s an extra 50 calories and 4g protein (total: 200 calories, 7g fiber, 4g protein)
Not bad for a quick morning breakfast, an afternoon snack, and it’s a great way to get a huge serving of fruit! The husband literally makes these juices and other varieties (like carrot, apple, ginger) every day.
A couple days ago when he was drinking his morning juice he said to me, “This is brilliant. Seriously, if someone had just told me that I could make these juices and it was healthy and that I’d get all of my fruit in a glass, I would have eaten so much more fruit as a kid and an adult!”
So there you have it: fruit in a glass, healthy and delicious – straight from my husband.
