When the thermometer reaches 85 before 9 am, it is officially smoothie season.  I’m not the biggest smoothie fan, but summer’s unrelenting heat makes me appreciate them as heat-busting breakfast drinks.  The fruit in my smoothie varies with my shopping, but I frequently fall back on frozen fruit.  These days, I’m stuck on a peach-mango-strawberry combination, thanks to precut, individually quick frozen fruit chunks.  Sold in handy, resealable plastic bags, the fruit chunks make it easy to pluck out three or four peach slices or a single strawberry with no washing, cutting, or cleanup:  perfect for busy mornings.  (Dole’s IQF fruit line includes 14 different choices, from blackberries and strawberries to pitted cherries and mangoes.)

To balance out the fruit sugars, I add lowfat greek yogurt (Cabot or Fage) and sliced almonds to my breakfast smoothie.  Commercially available smoothies often include whey powder to boost protein content, but yogurt adds both protein and tangy flavor.

My (current favorite) morning smoothie

• 1/2 cup lowfat Greek yogurt
• 1/8 cup sliced almonds
• 3-4 frozen peach slices (the natural kind, with no sugar added)
• 2 frozen strawberries
• 1 drop vanilla extract
• 3-4 ice cubes, depending on blender capacity
• optional:  1 tablespoon honey, maple syrup, or agave nectar

Place all ingredients in listed order into a blender.  Cover tightly and blend in pulses until evenly pureed.