Strawberry and Mango Juice Smoothie Recipe!

This is a cooling and refreshing drink/smoothie to make during a hot summer's day or under humid weather.


What you will need:   
A cup of frozen strawberries
A mango
1/2 cup vanilla frozen yogurt and 100ml pineapple juice
A cup of crushed Ice

Method
1. Rinse and peel the mango, discard the pit and cut into slices.
2. Rinse the strawberries, remove the leaves and caps and cut into halves
3. Put frozen strawberries, mango slices, yoghurt, pineapple juice and crushed ice into blender and blend till smooth
4. Pour mixture in glass and serve.

Benefits:
Strawberries are a high source of vitamin C which helps beautify our complexion. It also helps protect our body from common illnesses such as flu and influenza. Strawberries keep our gums strong and prevent gum bleeding as well.

Mangoes are rich in vitamin A, which improves our eyesight and beautifies our complexion. It also contains potassium which strengthens our muscles and improves our nervous system. Mangoes also contain a host of other minerals that prevent the hardening of arteries so that our blood pressure won't increase.

Yoghurt, it is a good source of calcium and vitamin D, which are both necessary for maintaining healthy bones. They also contain probiotics which are good for our intestine lining and digestion.




Tips:
Strawberries are fragile fruits and should be handled with care as the y bruise easily. Choose strawberries that are firm, shiny and brightly coloured. They should have an intact bright green cap with fresh green leaves as well.

As strawberries have thin surfaces, they tend to lose moisture to surroundings easily. I suggest placing strawberries in an air tight container while storing them in the refrigerator to minimize contact with surrounding air so they remain fresher for a longer period.

Choose mangoes with a yellowish orange peel with brownish spots on it. The mango should also be smooth and firm as you touch it to ensure it is ripe and fresh.
Remember that mangoes have a short shelf life and should be stored in room temperatures so that it can remain fresh longer.

Take note:
 Frequent consumption of fruits that are high in potassium such as mangoes (including bananas) may lead to excessive potassium in the body. Therefore, our kidneys will need to remove these excess potassium from our body. People with weak kidneys should try avoid consuming fruits or juices that have high potassium content so as not to put strain on their kidneys
Enjoy and take care!

Put These Products In Your Cart

Sometimes at the grocery store, you may see new products yet wonder, how do they taste and are they really healthy options? If you are like me and love to try new products, here is a product round up of some tasty (and nutritious) new products out that I discovered this past weekend at the annual Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics conference.

happy family - happy creamies
I tried the Carrot, Mango & Orange flavor, they were so delicious! These snacks are made with 50% vegetables, coconut milk and have no added sugar! Quick tip: Mix these with whole grain cereal for a great on-the-go snack.

Another great product from this company is their happy squeeze line which includes varieties like: coco strawberry (made with coconut milk) and fruit & veggie twist (apple & purple carrot).

Quaker Oatmeal - Real Medleys
What is awesome about these little cups of oatmeal, all you have to do is add water and they have pieces of dried fruit and nuts in them! Plus they are made with whole rolled oats. The type pictured left includes cherries and pistachios. Each serving has 290 calories and 5 grams of fiber.

Other flavors in this line include: peach and almond, apple walnut and summer berry.



Odwalla Smoothies for Kids

These drink boxes are something even your children will be excited about! Each box has the equivalent to a 1/2 cup of fruit and no sugar added. They are available in Strawberry Banana Jungle, Mango Pineapple Island and Grape Berry Prairie flavors and they taste GREAT! They are available in the refrigerator section of the grocery store. When you send these for lunch they are recommended to no be left unrefrigerated for longer than 12 hours and try freezing them first for more of icy texture at lunch time! 

 

Please note: the above products were on display at the conference and I received samples of the products to try, although I do not receive endorsement from any of the above products or brands. 

My Favorite Fruit: Mango

If I had to choose a favorite fruit, it would be mango! It is absolutely declicious and full of flavor.

Mango selection tips: If the mango feels a little bit soft to the touch, it's just right! If it the mango feels firm, then you will have to wait a few days for it to ripen.

How to prepare a mango: First wash the mango. Then carefully slice the two 'cheeks' off from the fruit (pictured to the right). Next slice the fruit into strips, with the peel. Then take a teaspoon and slip the peel away from the fruit and serve in long strips or cube into bitesize pieces.

For a time saving tip: Look for bags of frozen mango, which are perfect to adding to smoothies, salsas, or yogurt.

Click here to try my yummy mango smoothie recipe! A perfect start to the day.

Simple Toddler Snacks

Planning balanced snacks is a key strategy to your toddlers taste development! After age one your toddler can eat most foods as long as they are not allergic to them and that their chewing and swallowing are well developed. Here are some toddler approved snack ideas that are a little out of the ordinary, which are toddler approved by our little guys.

• PB Sliders: 1/4 slice whole wheat bread with light spread of peanut butter, topped with slice of banana
  


• Mediterranean Platter: 3 - 4 cucumber slices with a tablespoon of hummus for dipping



• Toddler Trail Mix: 1/4 cup of whole grain cereal (like Cheerios), raisins, and craisins
  


• Fruit Slices: 1/2 of a pear sliced (or other fruit, the favorite in our house: mango)
  


• Yogurt Cup: 1/4 cup plain yogurt mixed with 1/4 cup berries
  


• Nutty Snack: 1/4 cup pistachios (mom or dad remove the shells)

Reminder: According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, portion sizes for toddlers should be 1/4 that of an adults so be careful not to over do it with portions at snack otherwise it could interfere with food intake at meals.

The Scoop: Coconut Water

What is coconut water? It is the water that pools in whole green coconuts. In general plain coconut water is not very sweet (even though it has sugar) and naturally has sodium and potassium, which are electrolytes which help maintain fluid balance.

The type that I prefer to drink occasionally is Peach Mango Coconut Water which is flavored with fruit puree (check the photo in my recent Facebook post). It has 60 calories, 30 mg sodium, 500 mg potassium, and 15 grams of sugar in 8.5 ounces. What I like about fruit puree flavored coconut water is: it is flavored with fruit puree and it is nutrient rich!

Coconut water can be a stand-in for a sports drink but keep in mind a sports drink is only needed when a work out is going to be one hour of continuous (and vigorous) activity or longer. For light workouts or short workouts a sports drink is not needed and plain water will do.

The bottom line: coconut water is a great alternative to higher calorie beverages and look for vartities that are sweetened with fruit puree and do not have added sugar. But as with anything, some is good, more is not better!

Eat Right With Color

Happy National Nutrition Month! The theme of this month long event is "Eat Right With Color"... which I personally think is an awesome message. We know that people are not eating enough fruits and vegetables yet they provide important nutrients like: vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber! Plus fruit and veggies are filling and have a relatively low calorie price tag (many are only 50 calories or less per serving). Check out these simple ways to add more color to your eating routine:

• Top blackened salmon with mango salsa.
  


• Add sliced avocado, tomatoes, onions, or dark leafy green lettuce to your sandwich.
  


• For snack: grab a small handful of walnuts and dried cranberries.
  


• Fill the bottom of your cereal bowl with sliced fruit like strawberries or bananas, this will help your bowl to seem full while keeping your portion of cereal in check.



• Instead of crackers, choose apple slices with low-fat cheese.
  


• Great side for lunch: red pepper slices with hummus (personal hummus favorite: roasted red pepper).
  


• Mix in fresh fruit to yogurt.



• Add a side of fruit at dinner like: applesauce, fresh berries, or sliced mango.
  


• Fill at least half of your plate at dinner with fruit and/or veggies!



• Add a handful of frozen veggies to prepared soups to up the veggie content!

Capville's List of Products

Fresh Malaysian Local Fruit Juice.

Ready to Drink Calamansi Juice (Jus Limau Kasturi), Mango Juice, PassionFruit Juice (Jus Markisa) and Pumpkin Juice (Jus Labu)

The fruits are being processed within 48 hours after harvesting to retain its natural flavour and freshness. No artificial colouring and flavouring added. Fruits are being cultivated by farmers practicing Natural Farming methods and it is free from any chemical residue from the use of chemical-based fertilizer and pesticide.

Passion Fruit Juice, Passion Fruit Juice with Stevia, Calamansi Juice and Pumpkin Juice.
Bottle Size : 250ml
250ml x 24 bottles = RM84.00 / carton
@ RM3.50 / bottle
* Passion Fruit Juice with Stevia : RM3.80 / bottle *

Mango Juice, Calamansi Juice, Passion Fruit Juice and Pumpkin Juice.

Bottle Size : 300ml

300ml x 24 bottles = RM67.20 / carton
@ RM2.80 / bottle

Passion Fruit Juice and Calamansi Juice

Bottle Size : 2L

2L x 6 bottles = RM90 / carton
@ RM15 / bottle

Passion Fruit and Calamansi Juice

Bottle Size : 5.75L

RM40.00 / bottle

Passion Fruit Jam

Bottle Size : 470g

470g x 12 bottles = RM132 / carton
@ RM11 / bottle

Papaya + Mango juice

(preparation details pending ;-))

Vivano! YUMMY!

I just had the new Starbucks Vivanno Nournishing Blend, it's delicious! I tried both flavors, the Orange Mango Banana Blend and the Banana Chocolate Blend. They are both equally nutritious, my favorite was the Orange Mango Banana! (It was my husband and our little guy's favorite too.) The best part it you can enjoy this drink without feeling guilty! There is at least 5 grams of fiber and 16 grams of protein and each contain at least a serving of fruit! Best of all, I compared the sugar content to other smoothies and there is about 50% less sugar in the Vivanno, as compared to other smoothie options. Enjoy it after a workout, for breakfast, or to satisfy your sweet tooth!