fiber-filled smoothies {snacktime saturday linkup}

Leah and Margaux are still doing their Snacktime Saturdays, so I thought I'd share a "recipe" for a popular snack around here: smoothies. I know it's not Saturday -- but I wish it were, so does that count?

Lorelei is a cheese addict, doesn't like to drink much of anything (even juice!), and tends to eschew fiber-filled foods like whole grain breads and beans, so she tends to get a little...plugged up, to put it politely. She looooves smoothies, though, so I've taken to packing hers with extra fiber and high-protein yogurt to help keep her regular and give her good brain-fuel, too.

I don't have a set recipe, but here's what I always try to have on hand:

plain Greek yogurt (double the protein of the regular stuff!)
frozen organic blueberries and raspberries*
organic apples
shredded wheat squares

*buying organic all the time is expensive, but berries tend to have very high levels of pesticides. I try to keep bags of the frozen stuff around all the time because it's cheaper than the fresh berries and you don't have to worry about them going moldy before you get around to using them!

I soak 6-7 shredded wheat squares in milk to soften them, microwave 1/3 cup of berries to defrost them a bit, chop/dice a quarter of an apple (with skin on for added nutrients), and then put it all into a blender or food processor with a 1/2 cup of yogurt and a splash of no-sugar-added juice or milk to make it a bit less thick. Sometimes I'll even add a bit of a baby food jar of prunes -- or you could try another fiber-filled fruit like apricots. Puree everything until it'll flow easily through a straw. The shredded wheat, berries, and apple pack in a powerful fiber punch, and blended together it tastes sweet and rich without any added sugars.

Note: I do not use any banana! It's a pretty common smoothie base, but it's a food that tends to be binding, which of course defeats the purpose of these "magic" smoothies.

Check out the other great recipes from the Snacktime Saturday linkup too!