Sunshiney Smoothie

This Carrot Pineapple Smoothie is tied with the Apple Kale one for the title of My Favorite. Both recipes are from Real Simple Magazine, and I’ve made both smoothies many, many times since the recipes appeared in the February 2011 issue.




Here’s how it goes:

3/4 cup chopped fresh pineapple

1/2 cup ice

1/3 cup fresh orange juice

1/4 cup chopped carrot

1/2 banana

Just put all this stuff in a blender (remember, add the ice last!) and blend it until it’s frothy.

You can totally cheat a little on the “fresh”ness. Chopping a fresh pineapple can be a pain in the butt. Also, you need to have a ripe pineapple around, which for me is rare. I have occasionally bought fresh pineapple already cut (which is a little spendy) but I usually just use frozen pineapple. In a pinch you can use canned pineapple that has been packed in it’s own juice, but I feel like that’s a little sugary.

As for fresh orange juice, I just use the kind that’s not from concentrate. If I had fresh squeezed orange juice I would be enjoying it as is (or maybe in a really fantastic mimosa), NOT putting it in a smoothie. Of course, any orange juice would work juuuust fine.

Another time saver is to use those little baby carrot nubbins so you don’t have to wash or peel them. Also, you probably already have them in your fridge as a healthy snack. If not, keep them in your fridge as a healthy snack! AND if you have an amazing blender, you don’t even have to chop them.

If you take all my shortcuts you can make this really quick! It’s great in the morning, especially. You can add a scoop of protein powder, if you feel like you need it. (Though even the flavorless kind changes the flavor/texture slightly.) I usually make a double batch so I don’t have half a banana sitting around, and so I have two smoothies for one amount of work. They stay good in the fridge for a day or two, but may separate a little, nbd.

Happy smoothie-ing, Sunshine!

*NOTE* If you use frozen fruit, you may have to add a little extra juice, or some water, and not use as much ice. I tried using all frozen fruit, including the banana, and I ended up with a carrot-orange Frosty. (It was still good though!)

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories 159, Fat 1g , Sat Fat 0g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 25mg, Protein 2g, Carbohydrate 40g, Sugar 26g, Fiber 4g, Iron 1mg, Calcium 38mg