By Mary Parsons, MS, RD
The team at Fruits & Veggies–More Matters is serious about giving people tools that support the creation of healthy plates, and one of our new favorite resources is its Give Your Plate a Makeover campaign. The site provides a visual gallery of not-so-healthy plates and then gives each one the MyPlate treatment – and the transformation is stunning! For every plate makeover, the site provides a recipe, nutrition information, a shopping list, and even an approximate cost – and if you still think that healthy eating is expensive, you’re in for a pleasant surprise! We’re such big fans that we’re putting the spotlight on some of our favorite recipes in this MyPlate Makeover series on Taste of Health.
Our first featured plate transformation is all about breakfast in a hurry. It can be tough to fit in the most important meal of the day when hectic mornings have you running out the door. A packaged protein shake is an easy way to fill up on the go, but your breakfast will need some fruits and veggies if you want to pass the MyPlate challenge! For a healthier sippable breakfast, try this tasty Avocado Melon Breakfast Smoothie. This sweet and creamy drink has a lot to offer in the nutrition department: protein, monounsaturated fat from avocado, and probiotics from the yogurt, close to one third of your daily fiber needs, and 3 whole servings of fruit!
You can join in on the MyPlate Challenge by making a healthy meal makeover, snapping a photo, and posting it to the official Pinterest board. Let’s get cooking!
Avocado Melon Breakfast Smoothie
(Recipe from the California Avocado Commission via Fruits and Veggies: More Matters)
Serves 2
Ingredients:
- 1 ripe, fresh California avocado
- 1 cup honeydew melon chunks
- Juice from ½ lime (1½ tsp. lime juice)
- 1 cup (8 oz.) milk, fat-free
- 1 cup fat-free yogurt, plain
- ½ cup apple juice or white grape juice
- 1 Tbsp. honey
- Recommended accompaniment: serve with one slice of whole-wheat toast
Directions:
- Cut avocado in half and remove pit. Scoop out flesh and place in blender.
- Add remaining ingredients; blend well. Serve cold.
- Holds well in the refrigerator up to 24 hours. If made ahead, stir gently before pouring into glasses.
Nutrition Information (per serving)*: 390 calories, 12 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 320 mg sodium, 58 g carbohydrates, 8 g fiber, 17 g protein
* Recipe and nutrition information may vary by products (and/or brands) used.