Rice Milk Smoothie Recipes

We're well into the summer and everyone seems to be going crazy for smoothies. Fruit smoothies, green smoothies, you name it. Here are some delicious and healthy recipes to help you cool down -- all made with rice milk as a base. You could, of course, substitute regular milk, soy milk, almond milk, or whatever your preference may be, but I like to use plain rice milk for most of my recipes.

Recipe #1: Green Smoothie w/ Rice Milk

2 cups plain rice milk
1 cup baby spinach (or your choice of greens)
2 bananas
1 cup blueberries

By now I'm sure you're familiar with the green smoothie craze and all the talk about their health benefits. You'd be surprised at how delicious a smoothie made with spinach can be. If you're weary about the taste, spinach blends in easily and is overpowered by the taste of fruit -- and you still consume all of its nutritional goodness! There are only a few steps to this healthy smoothie:

1. Start with the liquid base. Pour two cups of plain rice milk into your blender -- or, if you'd prefer, a liquid base of your choice. This could be water, tea, or another type of milk.

2. Throw in a handful of baby spinach. For added nutritional benefit, you can add kale leaves to your spinach. Begin by blending your greens until they are liquified.

3. Next, turn off your blender and begin adding fruit. First throw in your cup of blueberries, blend, and then add in your two bananas.

4. For added flavor, try adding pineapple chunks or strawberries. That's it! You're done! Enjoy your green smoothie.

Recipe #2: Strawberry-Banana Smoothie

2 cups rice milk, plain or vanilla
1 medium banana
2 cups strawberries
1 handful chocolate chips (optional)

1. Again, start with the liquid base. Pour two cups of rice milk into your blender. With this recipe, I like to use a vanilla flavor to spruce it up -- I love the combination of strawberry, banana, and vanilla.

2. Blend in the strawberries first. Once they're liquified, turn off the blender.

3. Now add in the banana, and once again blend until liquified.

4. Your smoothie is already done! A delicious strawberry-banana combination. If you'd like to really spruce it up, chocolate mixes in really well. All you need to do to top it off is blend some chocolate chips and you have a delicious chocolate strawberry-banana smoothie for dessert.

There you go -- two delicious smoothie recipes made with rice milk, both perfectly nutritious and yet suitable for a yummy snack or even a dessert. Enjoy!