I’m not excessively overweight, but I could stand to lose twenty or thirty pounds. When I finally made up my mind to lose the weight once and for all, my main goal was to improve the way I feel through exercise and healthy eating. The weight loss would come naturally. I’ve found a sweet and filling treat that has helped me lose weight, and not only is it sweet and tasty, but it’s also healthy, and if you love yogurt you should take advantage of the following information.
I look forward to a large yogurt smoothie each and every morning, and it keeps me full until lunchtime. The yogurt smoothies I make are filled with all-natural fruit, low-calorie low-fat yogurt, and fruit juice. I also occasionally add a few goodies to make the yogurt smoothies even more appealing. I feel like I’m cheating on my diet, but I’m really not. So far I’ve lost seven pounds, and with healthy low-calorie snacks and my yogurt smoothies I’m sure I’ll succeed. I have a head start on my New Year’s resolution, and so can you!
Making Yogurt Smoothies
The recipe for the original yogurt smoothies I originally made came from the back of a 4-cup Dannon Light & Fit yogurt container. The instructions said to combine ½ cup of fruit, ½ cup of fruit juice, ½ cup of ice, and 1 cup of Dannon Light & Fit yogurt in a blender. I already loved yogurt, and finding this recipe gave me a new and tasty way to eat the fruit I needed with the yogurt I enjoyed. Those who aren’t fruit eaters will find this way to eat more fruit easy and delicious, even if they’re not trying to lose weight.
The first smoothies I made contained freshly peeled banana, Sunny Delight, because I was out of juice at the time, and Dannon Light & Fit Strawberry yogurt. It tasted great, and this 195 calorie breakfast was almost too filling. This smoothie filled an 8-ounce glass with a little left over in the blender. I couldn’t wait to experiment with other types of juice, yogurt, and fruit!
Believe it or not, Sunny Delight has the same number of calories as typical fruit juice such as apple or apple combinations! However, I prefer genuine fruit juice since I’ve improved my food and drink choices. I recently purchased white cranberry juice and canned unsweetened pineapple. I combined these ingredients with the rest of my Dannon Light & Fit strawberry yogurt, and this is also a very delicious combination for those trying to lose weight with the help of yogurt smoothies.
You can choose ½ cup of any fresh or canned fruit to make yogurt smoothies. The options are truly endless! If you’re out of juice, use the juice with the canned fruit you choose. If I hadn’t purchased more juice before making more smoothies, I would have used the juice from canned pineapple. Consider using grapes, blueberries, raspberries, papaya, or even kiwi fruit. I’ve eaten more fruit in the past two weeks than I had previously eaten in the past two months, and I feel better than I have in years!
Optional Additions
Yogurt smoothies are great for breakfast, but smoothies are also a fantastic midday snack, especially for those trying to lose weight. They help curb the appetite until dinnertime. When I have smoothies for a snack I toss in a tablespoon of colored sprinkles to make it seem more like an ice cream treat and something sinfully delicious. The sprinkles have very few calories, but they add a lot of color and appeal.
If you’re trying to lose weight, you can also toss in a bit of dried fruit such as coconut, cranberries, chunks of dried apricots, cherries, raisins, or any other healthy option to give it more flavor. I love dried cherries, and 1/8 of a cup has only 80 calories. It isn’t necessary to use that many to give your yogurt smoothies more color and flavor. When you’re trying to lose weight, a tablespoon or two is more than enough.
Nuts are high in calories, but they’re also high in protein, and when trying to lose weight, it’s important to get enough protein. Sprinkle a tablespoon or two of chopped peanuts on your yogurt smoothies. Nine roasted peanuts contains 50 calories, and when chopped into small pieces they’ll go a long way.
