5 healthy, sugar-free fruit smoothies to kickstart your day

Ingredients
1cup- Spinach
1- Whole banana, fresh or frozen
½ cup- Almond milk (contains neither cholesterol nor lactose)
Honey- To taste, as a sweetener (optional)

Method
* In a blender, mix spinach, banana and almond milk and blend for about 4 mins straight.

* Taste if sweet enough. If not, add a bit of honey as a natural sweetener and blend for 2 mins.

* Your green smoothie filled with vital nutrients is ready! Serve with crushed ice or have it normally.

Benefits of spinach
* It is loaded with vitamins like A, B2, C and K and contains antioxidants and minerals too.
* It has a high nutritional value and has magnesium, manganese, folate, iron, calcium and potassium.
* Low on calories, this green also fights osteoporosis, heart diseases, arthritis and cancer. However it is advisable to eat spinach with vitamin C rich foods as it contains oxalic acid which can reduce the nutritional intake of your body.

Benefits of banana
* Its calorific value is 105 – 250.
* Contains 18% vitamin C, 13% potassium, 12% dietery fibres and 9% manganese. Also, has Vitamin B6 which increases the production of anti-bodies.
* Helps in reducing blood pressure.

The king of fruits is full of vital nutrients and vitamins that is extremely healthy for your body. (Source: Thinkstock)

Mango and Banana Smoothie

Ingredients
1 cup- Mango
1- Whole banana, frozen or fresh
½ cup- Almond milk

Method
* In a blender, put mangoe, banana and almond milk and blend until smooth.

* You can use crushed ice to enhance the taste or add whipped cream on top for fun!

Benefits of mango
* The king of fruits is full of vital nutrients and vitamins that is extremely healthy for your body. 1 cup of mango has a calorific value of 100, with 1gm of protein, 0.5gm of fat, 25gm of carbohydrates, 100% vitamin C, 35% vitamin A, 20% folate, 10% of vitamin B6, 8% of vitamin K and potassium.
* Mangoes are very healthy as they reduce cholesterol level in the body owing to its fibre, pectin and vitamin C contents. It can also prevent cancer due to its antioxidant properties.
* It also helps in better eyesight due to the presence of Vitamin A.

Benefits of banana
Like we have mentioned earlier, its calorific value is 105 – 250, and hence, is diet friendly.

Pineapple and Mango Smoothie

Ingredients
1cup- Pineapple
1cup- Mango
½ cup- Coconut water

Method
* Put the mango and pineapple cubes in the blender, add coconut water and blend for 3 mins.

* Your tropical smoothie is ready.

* Serve with crushed ice or coconut shreds on top.

Benefits of pineapple
* 1 cup of pineapple provides a calorific value of 82 with 0gm fat, 1gm protein, 2gm fibre, 13% vitamin C, and 9% vitamin B6.
* Pineapples have been used for ages to treat digestion problems and inflammation. It can also prevent asthma and help in lowering blood pressure.
* It also acts as an excellent agent to combat free radicals which can later cause cancer.
* Pineapple is extremely healthy for the heart and also improves fertility and digestion.

Benefits of mango
As discussed earlier, the king of fruits is endowed with rich qualities as they reduce cholesterol level in the body and helps prevent cancer.

Note: We are using coconut water to give this smoothie a tropical vibe and let’s not forget the benefits of coconut water which is rich in nutrients and contains essential electrolytes like calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium and phosphorus.

The berry family is packed with vital proteins and nutrients that your body requires on a daily basis. (Source: Thinkstock)

Strawberry and Banana Smoothie

Ingredients
1 cup- Strawberry
1-Whole banana, fresh or frozen
½ cup- Orange juice

Method
* Put banana and strawberry in the blender, add orange juice and blend for 2 mins.

* Add crushed ice (optional) for a better texture and blend for 3 mins.

* Serve with whipped cream on top (optional).

Benefits of strawberry
* The berry family is packed with vital proteins and nutrients that your body requires on a daily basis. Strawberries are rich in vitamin C, sodium and carbohydrates and is cholesterol free.
* 100 gm of strawberry has a calorific value of 32 with 0.3gm fat, 7.7gm carbohydrate and 2gm fibre. They also contain large amounts of ‘anthocyanidin’ which are powerful antioxidants and help in the prevention of cancer, inflammation and heart diseases.

Benefits of banana
We are going bananaaas over banana! This fruit is exceptionally useful as we have seen in the previous recipes.

Blueberry and Raspberry Smoothie

Ingredients
1cup- Blueberries
1cup- Raspberries
½ cup- Greek yoghurt
¼ cup- Orange juice

Method
* Put the blueberries and the strawberries in the blender, add Greek yoghurt to it and blend until smooth.

*Now, pour orange juice in and blend for full 4 mins.

* Serve with crushed ice or whipped/plain cream.

Benefits of blueberry
* Blueberries are low in calories but high in nutrients. 1 cup of blueberry contains 4gm fibre, 24% vitamin C, 36% vitamin K, 15gm carbohydrates and 25% manganese. They are also believed to have the highest antioxidant compounds.
* The main antioxidant in blueberries belong to a large family of polyphenols called flavonoids. They reduce DNA damage, and helps in reducing the risk of cancer.
* Blueberries also act as an anti-ageing compound. According to animal studies, the antioxidants in blueberries tend to accumulate in areas of the brain that is essential for intelligence.
* The fibre in blueberries can help lower cholesterol and decrease the rate of heart diseases.

Benefits of raspberries
* Raspberries are extremely healthy and beneficial. A report in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition have stated that the intake of flavonoid-rich foods like raspberries have lower risks of death from cardiovascular disease.
* Raspberries contain antioxidants like vitamin C, quercetin and gallic acid which fight cancer, heart and circulatory diseases. They also have anti-inflammatory properties and is good with diabetes management as it is rich in fibre.
* Raspberries also contain the antioxidant Zeaxanthin, which filters out harmful blue light rays and plays a protective role in eye health. It also helps in proper bowel movement and reduces constipation.
* 100gm of raspberries contain about 44% vitamin C, 0.65gm fat, 6.5gm fibre, 11.94gm carbohydrates and gives an energy of 53 kcal.