Delicious Healthy Smoothies with Apples

An apple a day keeps the doctor away, or so the saying goes. If for no other reason, apples are a great addition to any smoothie but scientific research has also highlighted many health benefits.

For example, a study has shown that in children with asthma, those who drink apple juice daily wheeze less than children who drink apple juice infrequently (about once per month or less). People who eat two apples a day could lower their cholesterol levels by as much as 16 percent. This benefit is due to the fact that pectin in apples lowers ‘bad’ cholesterol levels. Pectin also supplies galacturonic acid that may help in diabetes management as it temporarily lowers the body’s insulin requirement. Research has also suggested that quercetin from apples may help in prevention of Alzheimer’s disease by protecting brain cells from damage caused by free radicals.
Here are two of my favourite smoothie recipes using apples.

Prune and Apple Smoothie
(Great for your digestive health and detoxing)

1 cup of probiotic low fat plain or vanilla yoghourt
1 small tin of prunes in apple juice (remove stones before blending)
2 medium sized eating apples, cored and chopped
Grated zest of half a small lemon (be sure to use the unwaxed sort)
1 pinch of ground cinnamon
Sprig of fresh garden mint (pineapple mint or spearmint is nice in this recipe)
About half a dozen ice cubes
Additional apple juice as required to make the smoothie the right consistency for your taste.

Place yoghourt, apple juice from can of prunes into the smoothie maker first, then the apples, stoned prunes, ice cubes and finally the cinnamon, mint and lemon rind. Blend until smoothie, if necessary using the pulse function on your blender and add additional apple juice if required.

Apple and Blueberry Smoothie
(Blueberries are very high in antioxidants and good for giving your immune system a boost).
150 ml semi skimmed milk, ( or use soy milk, rice milk or almond milk for a non dairy alternative)
150 ml carton probiotic low fat plain or vanilla yoghourt (use soy yoghourt if you cannot tolerate dairy)
1 medium sized eating apple, cored and chopped
30g (1/4 cup) of blueberries
115g (1 cup) of black grapes
About half a dozen ice cubes

Place the chopped apple in the smoothie maker, followed by the milk and yoghourt, then all the other ingredients and blend until smooth as above.

Both these recipes provide two good servings – enjoy!