It’s the first day of Spring and you know what that means…Yes, it’s that time of year.   The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition is already out and soon we will be digging for our beachwear beachcoverups, bathing suits and for the bravest of the brave, bikinis. So when I ran across an article in Prevention Magazine offering 10 smoothies with MUFA’s that will shrink my belly fat, Aha!  Now we’re talking!  I couldn’t look away. Like I said, summer is right around the corner and I will take all the help I can get!   I’m not normally a smoothie kind of person.  I have more of an avocado or peanut butter toast in the morning habit.  Of course I drink a big glass of alkaline water – Lemon Cucumber Mint Water –  while I’m making my first cup of coffee.  Hey, it’s all about balance! That said I loved this smoothie.  Drank the whole thing.

Photo Credit: http://www.prevention.com

So back to MUFA—the Flat Belly Diet powerhouse ingredient that specifically targets belly fat. There has been much talk recently about MUFAs (pronounced moo-fah) or MonoUnsaturated Fatty Acids, which are plant-based fats found in some of the world’s most delicious foods— avocado, nuts and seeds, oils, olives, and dark chocolate!  In my book, these are the foods that make dinner worth eating, however, there are claims they provide many health benefits. MUFA’s promote healthy cholesterol levels and help us absorb the vitamins we eat. Studies show that these good-for-you fats enhance heart health and protect against chronic disease. We are encouraged to eat a serving of MUFA at every meal.  This article offers 10 smoothie recipes but I only tried one.  Click through for more.Prevention 10 Slimming Smoothies

TIPS/SUBSTITUTIONS:  I followed the recipe except I used full fat plain European yogurt instead of fat free vanilla which I don’t buy.  I’m always suspicious of what happens when they remove the normal fat that is supposed to be in foods and replace it with something, usually more sugar and unnatural ‘non-foods’.  For the extra 10 calories per cup, I’ll skip the extra sugar and chemicals, but that is just me.  For those weighing the decision to buy full or no fat yogurt, regular or Greek yogurt, here are some yogurt facts via SF Gate you might find helpful. Do you care more about calories, fat or protein?

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, an 8-ounce serving of plain full-fat yogurt provides about 140 calories, 8 grams of protein, 7.4 grams of fat, 11 grams of carbohydrates and sugar, and 275 milligrams of calcium. The same serving size of nonfat yogurt contains about 130 calories, 13 grams of protein, 0.4 grams of fat, 17.4 grams of carbohydrates and sugar, and 450 milligrams of calcium. Eight ounces of nonfat, plain Greek yogurt has 130 calories, 23 grams of protein, no fat, 9 grams of carbohydrates and sugar, and 250 milligrams of calcium.

According to my calendar, spring officially begins today at 3:45pm PDT.  Does anybody else think that is an odd time of day for a season to begin?  So although it is now Spring you wouldn’t know it if you lived in many parts of the country that are still buried under piles of snow.  In California it feels like spring has already sprung, but perhaps that is because we never really got winter this year. I think the East and the South got it all.  It’s possible that we will have a late coldsnap that will take out all of our delicate plants and blossoms but for now I’m going to relish the beautiful weather and lovely spring blooms.  Maybe I’ll make a smoothie and go sit in my garden and wait for my winter fat to melt away…

AVOCADO MANGO SMOOTHIE

¼ c mango cubes
¼ c mashed ripe avocado (MUFA)
½ c mango juice
¼ c fat-free vanilla yogurt
1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
1 Tbsp sugar
6 ice cubes

COMBINE all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Pour into a tall glass. Garnish with sliced mango or strawberry, if desired, and serve.

NOTES: I followed the recipe except as follows.  I used regular plain yogurt, a pinch of sugar instead of 1 Tablespoon  and a bit more lime juice. I would suggest tasting before adding more sugar because I thought it was sweet enough.  I also added more ice and water since it was too thick for my tastes.  Loved it though!

NUTRITION (per serving based on original recipe) 298 cal, 5 g pro, 55 g carb, 5 g fiber, 47 g sugar, 9 g fat, 1.5 g sat fat, 54 mg sodium