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Blending: the complete guide!

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Lancaster chapter.
Most people perceive us students to be cheap and unhealthy. And I’m here to fight the latter stereotype, as, let’s face it, we’ve got to be cheap to survive! So I’ve made it my mission to be healthier and now I  want  to  share  something with  you to  help you be  healthier  too.  (I  promise  it works, and it’s yummy!) 
 
Earlier this year I bought my first blender, which is the Breville Blend Active; I wanted something cheap. It had to have more than one cup (who wants to keep washing up?), but above all it needed to cut ice! If you don’t want to pay too much then make a list of the things you want it to do and if you can find a cheap one that does that, then don’t hesitate to buy it.  
 
 
What I love about this one is that the container you make the smoothie in actually doubles up as the cup you drink it from. All you do is unscrew the blade and screw on a drinks top! It saves so much time when you’re in a rush, and you know you won’t have twice as much washing up to come home to after! 
I use my blender solely for making smoothies, but you can make healthy soups or anything to get those untasty vegetables into your diet.  
 
Breakfast/Snack smoothie
 
Ingredients:
100g Fat Free Natural Yoghurt (Or Fruit Juice)
Handful of Spinach
1 Banana
1 Apple 
1 Kiwi
1/2 Cup of Mango 
 
 
Method:
 1) Carefully peel and cut your banana, apple, kiwi and mango into small chunks 
2) Place these pieces into your cup
3) Add a handful of spinach
4) Pour in your yoghurt (or fruit juice)
5) Fill up any remaining room in the cup with water
6) Blend for 60 seconds and leave for 30 second intervals to stop your blender from overheating
7) Shake your blender if any bits are stuck and blend again
8) Pour into any cup of your choice and ENJOY!
 
So, what’s so good about these ingredients? I’ve done a bit of research into why these foods are great for your body! 
 
Fat Free Natural Yoghurt – Yogurt offers huge amounts of calcium and vitamins. It also contains all nine essential amino acids, making it a convenient source of lean protein. Proteins are essential for the immune system and help fight off illnesses!
Spinach – Full of vitamins, antioxidants and minerals. Spinach has an extremely high nutritional value and is rich in antioxidants. It also contains iron, calcium and potassium.
Banana – High in potassium, which is good news for your heart and bones, high in fibre to aid digestion and it’ll give you an energy boost.
Apple – Apples of full of Vitamin C – a powerful natural antioxidant, which help the body’s resistance against infectious agents. They also contain vitamins that are key in maintaining red blood cells and the nervous system in good health. 
Kiwi – Helps clean out toxins and manage your blood pressure. Kiwis are also great for your skin and are naturally organic.
Mango – There are generous amounts of Vitamins A and C which help boost your immune system and are also great for your skin and promote good eye health! 
 
 
Quick Tips
 
ď‚· Buy frozen fruit or freeze your own to make it last longer or to have a thicker smoothi e!
(make sure you peel and chop your fruit first)  
ď‚· You can use ANY fruits of your choice
ď‚· You can add or eliminate vegetables
 Add ice if you want it thicker 
 Add seeds, muesli, granola  or  dates  to  make  it  more  nutritious  and protein-packed   
 
Don’t hesitate to let the team here at Her Campus Lancaster know if you make this!

 

I'm Lauren Collier. I'm nineteen years old and I'm a second year English Language in the Media undergraduate. I'm a social media enthusiast, blogger and obsessed with living a healthy lifestyle!Email: lauren-collier@hotmail.co.ukInstagram: www.instagram.com/laurenlcollierTwitter: www.twitter.com/laurenlcollier
Mother tongue English, fully Italian. Born in Tokyo, lived in Hong Kong, grew up in Milan and currently studying at Lancaster University, UK. Multi lingual, I love to read, write, sing, cook and lead a healthy lifestyle. Her Campus Lancaster Editor in Chief as of April 2014!