We don’t eat a lot of dessert in our home.  I don’t want my kiddos to be in the routine of dessert after every meal.  That’s a dangerous habit.  While they are little kids with raging metabolisms it does not seem to matter, but as they age, dessert every night can set one up for a lifelong bad habit that’s hard to break.  This summer, when we’ve had dessert, it’s often come in the way of the smoothie.  Still has sugar (natural sugars), but so many vitamins and health benefits, it’s a far better choice than a cookie or piece of cake.

A few weeks back we had a lot of ripened cantaloupe and Nathan came up with this yummy recipe.  It’s the closet thing for me to having sherbert or ice cream.  The texture is thick, you can eat it with a spoon, and it’s just sweet enough to be satisfying, without having a sugar overload.

End of Summer Smoothie (orange/mango/cantaloupe/strawberry)

Makes 2 large servings

{If you have a food scale, I would weigh the ingredients.  Always more accurate.  If you do not, I have included measuring cup amounts}

:: 8oz or 1 cup of Orange Juice

:: 4oz or 1 cup of fresh cubed cantaloupe (the riper the better…perfect for over-ripe fruit!)

:: 4 oz or 1 cup of frozen cubed mango

:: 2 oz or 1/2 cup of frozen cut strawberries

:: (about) 2 to 4 oz or 1/2 to 1 cup of ice

:: 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

layer orange juice, cantaloupe, mango, strawberries, ice and vanilla.  Blend till smooth.  Enjoy! 

Just because it’s fruit does not mean it’s calorie-free.  This still contains natural sugars, carbohydrates and calories, but considering it’s a dessert, it’s pretty satisfying.

Approx nutritional info for total recipe:

285 Calories, less than 1g fat, 40 g sugar, 6g fiber, 40g carbohydrates, about 4g protein. 

Not bad for dessert!  Loaded with potassium vitamins A & C, foliate, and more.  

Let me know if you try it!  Enjoy the last official weekend of summer~

XOSJ