Banana-Mango Smoothie
Freeze the cubed mango overnight in an airtight container to make this smoothie a snap to throw together (for variety, try substituting frozen berries for the mango). Remember to let frozen mango thaw for 15 minutes to soften slightly. The dry milk is optional, but one tablespoon provides about 100 milligrams of calcium.

1 cup cubed peeled ripe mango
3/4 cup sliced ripe banana (about 1 medium)
2/3 cup fat-free milk
1 tablespoon nonfat dry milk (optional)
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Arrange the mango cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet; freeze until firm (about 1 hour). Place frozen mango and the remaining ingredients in a blender. Process until smooth.

Yield: 2 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Nutrition per serving
Calories 160
Carbohydrate 36.1g
Fat 0.7g (sat 0.3g,mono 0.2g,poly 0.1g)
Protein 5.1g
Cholesterol 2mg
Calcium 160mg
Sodium 65mg
Fiber 2.6g
Iron 0.3mg

Strawberry-and-Cream Cheese-Filled Muffins
A slather of cream cheese and jelly on top of muffins is too messy to eat on the way to work, so we tucked the goodies inside. Any flavor of fruit preserves will work. The muffins can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container overnight or in a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag in the freezer. Just thaw at room temperature and eat.

1/4 cup (2 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
2 tablespoons strawberry preserves
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons poppy seeds
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups low-fat buttermilk
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large egg whites
1 large egg
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375°.
Combine the cream cheese and preserves; stir with a whisk.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and the next 5 ingredients (flour through salt) in a medium bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Combine buttermilk, oil, egg whites, and egg; stir well with a whisk. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.

Spoon the batter into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray, filling one-third full. Top each with about 1 teaspoon cream cheese mixture; divide the remaining batter evenly over the cream cheese mixture. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Remove the muffins from pans immediately, and place on a wire rack.

Yield: 1 dozen (serving size: 1 muffin)

Nutrition per serving
Calories 182
Carbohydrate 27.4g
Fat 5.9g (sat 1.7g,mono 1.6g,poly 2g)
Protein 5g
Cholesterol 23mg
Calcium 94mg
Sodium 231mg
Fiber 0.7g
Iron 1.3mg

Wake-up Shake
3/4 cup prune juice, chilled
3/4 cup 2% reduced-fat milk, chilled
1/2 cup vanilla low-fat yogurt
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dash of ground allspice
8 bite-size pitted prunes
1 ripe banana, cut into chunks

Combine all ingredients in a blender; process until smooth. Serve immediately.

Yield: 3 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Nutrition per serving
Calories 215
Carbohydrate 45.2g
Fat 2.6g (sat 1.1g,mono 1.1g,poly 0.3g)
Protein 4.9g
Cholesterol 7mg
Calcium 161mg
Sodium 71mg
Fiber 1.9g
Iron 1.5mg

Source for recipes: Cooking Light