Strawberry-Kiwi Smoothie

Even vegans need a reminder every now and then to load up on fruits and veggies with antioxidants (I know you're out there, junk-food vegans).  Luckily doing so is not only delicious but easy.  This smoothie, for example, is full of vitamin C from the strawberries and kiwi. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup frozen whole strawberries
• 1 cup vanilla soy milk
• 2 teaspoons agave nectar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 peeled and halved kiwifruit
• 3 peeled and halved firm bananas

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.  Unlike most smoothie recipes, which are best blended right before serving, this one will benefit from a stint in the fridge to chill thoroughly (making it even more ideal for breakfast, since you can blend it up the night before).

Note: because the strawberries go into the blender frozen, they actually take the place of ice cubes in this recipe too. Thaw any remaining strawberries from the package and serve plain, or use to top cereal or stir into non-dairy yogurt.

You can try this smoothie by itself for a quick breakfast on the go, or serve with toasted whole wheat bagels smeared with peanut butter, and a cup of green tea for a leisurely, antioxidant-packed weekend breakfast.

Nutrition Info:
4 servings (1 cup), Calories 176 

Tasting Notes:
A thick and creamy smoothie; the trio of fruits blended nicely, but I would call this more of a strawberry-banana smoothie than a strawberry-kiwi one.  Would leave out one banana next time and add 1 or 2 more kiwifruit, since they're small.  I would also add a touch more vanilla extract - the subtle vanilla flavor got lost under the fruit.  If you prefer a slightly thinner consistency, I recommend adding a touch more soy milk.

Rating:
3

If you're looking for a few other quick antioxidant-packed snack ideas, here are just two of my favorites:

Carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower served with the non-dairy Ranch dressing from Organicville:

And of course you can't go wrong with a handful of pistachios: