One of the biggest struggles of a college meal plan is finding healthy options, especially with all of the junk food around. Keeping healthy snacks in your room can be even harder, due to limited fridge space and lack of appliances. Over winter break I discovered the Magic Bullet, a small blender that is easy to use and even easier to store. Unlike a regular blender, you place your ingredients in the cup that you will be drinking out of, twist the blade on the top like a cap, then flip it upside down onto the base and it blends your smoothies perfectly. Not only is the small size great, it is also simple to clean up; you really only have to wash the cup and the blade. Homemade smoothies are a much healthier option than the smoothies available around campus because you can choose your own all-natural ingredients without using any artificial sweeteners or juices.
Some of my favorite go-to ingredients to keep in my room are frozen fruits such as strawberries, mango, and peaches. I also use greens such as spinach or kale, a carton of Greek yogurt (just use two spoonfuls or so to make your smoothie thicker and smoother), coconut water, and chia seeds. The best part about frozen fruit is it saves you the fridge space by keeping it in the freezer, and it lasts much longer. However, make sure to buy prepackaged frozen fruit instead of already cut and washed fruit; fruit that has already gotten wet rots much faster and will also get freezer burn.
Instead of following recipes, I usually just grab a handful of fruit, two spoonfuls of yogurt, and a small handful of spinach and put it all in the cup, then fill it to the top with water or coconut water. Once it’s blended, I sprinkle chia seeds on top (chia seeds are great superfood and they add a little crunch!) then usually eat it with a spoon. Not only are smoothies a delicious snack, but, when using the right ingredients, it’s also extremely healthy!
Some good advice tidbits when making smoothies: always add some greens, use unflavored yogurt (less sugar!), and avoid juice. The fruit adds enough flavors, so using regular water or coconut water is a much lower calorie and lower sugar alternative. If you do want to follow a recipe, these 8 recipes from Buzzfeed all use only three ingredients, which makes your grocery shopping that much easier!
Whatever ingredients you use, the Magic Bullet is a great way to make delicious healthy smoothies from the comfort of your own dorm room!