Smoothies are a great way to get a good dose of your five a day portions of vegetables and fruit. When fruit is made into juice, the fibre and some other important nutrients are removed, whereas a smoothie contains the whole fruit, just broken down. So you get more of the benefits of the fruit in smoothie format compared to juice – but eating the whole fruit remains tops.

It’s important to realise that not all smoothies are equal and even if a smoothie is loaded with fruit, it may still be very high in kilojoules and fat, depending on the ingredients. The kilojoule count could be as high as an average meal or even higher.

I usually try to make my own smoothies, so that I know what’s in them and if I get one at a store, I go for the smallest serving, fruit-based, with yoghurt instead of ice-cream and not too many ingredients.

Try to fit your smoothie into your daily plan. By this I mean that if it replaces a meal, it should be nutritious enough and if you’re having it as a snack or drink with a meal, try to keep it skinnier.

A quick tip: If you’re having your smoothie as a snack or adding it to a meal as a drink, think, “If I kept all the ingredients in this smoothie separate, would I eat all of them as a snack or in addition to the meal on my plate?” Remember, because it tends to be easier for us to drink and it takes less time, it’s effortless to glug down a smoothie.

Here are a few delicious skinnier smoothie ideas. They make one portion and should be served ice cold.

Tropical Twist
Blend two large rings of chopped pineapple with half a chopped mango. Add 175ml of fat-free mixed fruit yoghurt and blend until smooth.

Quick Kiwi-berry
Blend together one peeled and sliced kiwi fruit, one teacupful of frozen raspberries and 100ml chilled apple juice (100%, unsweetened).

Banana Blast
Take one medium, sliced banana and blend with one tablespoon of oats, one teaspoon of honey and 200ml skimmed milk.

Very Berry
Blend one teacupful of fresh blueberries and one teacupful of frozen raspberries with five or six ice cubes and one teaspoon of honey until smooth. Serve immediately.

Red and Yellow Rush
Take 10 frozen strawberries and one medium sliced banana and blend to a paste. Add a few ice cubes and the juice of one medium orange and blend until the ice is crushed. Serve immediately.

Peaches and Cream
Blend one large peeled and chopped peach with 175ml fat free peach yoghurt and one tablespoon of oat bran. Serve, garnished with a peach slice.