4 healthy smoothies and cocktails

Delicious smoothies and refreshing cocktails are a healthful and tasty way to introduce vegetables into your diet. Here are four must-try vibrant recipes.

The vibrant colour and luxurious texture of this vitamin C-packed beet-and-berry mix appeals to the eye and the tastebuds, too.

• Preparation time 10 minutes; Serves 4
• 2 cooked beets, cooled and coarsely chopped
• 60 g fresh or frozen raspberries
• 250 ml cranberry juice, chilled
• 250 ml low-fat plain yogurt
• Chilled raspberries for garnish (optional)

• In a food processor or blender, purée beets, raspberries and cranberry juice until smooth.
• Pour purée through a strainer into a large jug. Whisk in most of the yogurt.
• Pour into four glasses and top with remaining yogurt. Garnish with extra raspberries, if desired. Serve immediately.
• Nutritional information:
• Per serving, you get: 90 calories, 4 g protein, 1 g fat (including 1 g saturated fat), 5 mg cholesterol, 18 g carbohydrates, 2 g fibre and 75 mg sodium.

This smoothie is a good bone-builder, thanks to the calcium from the yogurt.
Preparation time 5 minutes; serves 2
Ingredients

• 250 ml plain low-fat yogurt
• 2 large ripe plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 2 ml dried basil
• 2 ml salt

In a blender, whirl yogurt, tomatoes, basil and salt until very smooth, 2 minutes. Serve over ice, if desired.

Per serving, you get: 91 calories, 7 g protein, 2 g fat, 7 mg,  cholesterol,  12 g carbs, 1 g fibre and 382 mg sodium.

Preparation time 8 minutes; Serves 4

• 700 ml tomato juice
• 50 ml coarsely chopped, seeded green pepper
• 1 scallion, trimmed to 10 cm, thinly sliced
• 15 ml coarsely chopped
• 15 ml horseradish
• 5 ml Worcestershire sauce
• 2 ml sugar
• 2 ml Tabasco, or to taste
• Celery stalks and lemon slices, for garnish (optional)

Tip

Add fresh herbs to your smoothie, such as chopped parsley or crushed mint, or feathery fronds of dill or fennel.

In a blender, process the tomato juice, pepper, scallion, parsley, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, sugar and Tabasco until smooth, two to three minutes.

Serve over ice. Garnish with celery and lemon, if desired.

Per serving, you get: 46 calories, 2 g protein, 0 g fat (including 0 g saturated fat), 0 mg cholesterol, 9 g carbohydrates, 1 g fibre and 687 mg sodium.

This immune-boosting antioxidant cocktail supplies all your vitamin A for the day and more than half the required vitamin C.
Preparation time 5 minutes; Serves 2.

• 375 ml fresh or bottled carrot juice, chilled
• 150 ml freshly squeezed orange juice (3 oranges)
• 2 cm thick slice peeled fresh ginger

• Combine carrot juice and orange juice in a bowl.
• Crush ginger in garlic press to make two grams (1⁄2 teaspoon). Stir into juice mixture and serve. (If making ahead, stir just before serving.)

Per serving, you get: 75 calories, 2 g protein, 0 g fat (including 0 g saturated fat), 0 mg cholesterol, 17 g carbohydrates, 0 g fibre and 93 mg sodium.

Get your vegetable quota in these tasty, refreshing smoothies that you can enjoy at breakfast, lunch or as a healthy, satisfying snack. Follow these recipes for a tip top result.