Pregnancy Super Foods: Orange Yogurt Smoothie

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Out of all the pregnancy super foods on my list, yogurt is the hardest for me to eat. I’ve never liked the texture of yogurt and the sour flavor is especially hard for me to stomach with my heightened sense of taste during pregnancy. Other than cheese, I have a bit of an aversion to dairy products in general, not because of an allergy or anything, I just don’t like how they taste! So, it is a challenge for me to include enough calcium in my diet while pregnant and nursing and I often rely on fortified foods, such as orange juice, to meet my daily requirements.
I recently came across a recipe for an orange smoothie that claimed to taste like an orange push-up and tried it out. I thought this might be the perfect recipe for adding in some yogurt since the other flavors would sort of “hide” the yogurt. Also, I used calcium fortified orange juice concentrate for extra calcium points. I immediately knew that I had to share this recipe with all of you! It is so creamy and refreshing and, while it has too much sugar to qualify as “healthy”, it is packed full of calcium. I modified the recipe a bit, not only by adding the vanilla Greek yogurt for extra calcium and protein, but also cutting back on the sugar. Also, I didn’t add as much ice as in the original recipe because I like a creamier consistency.
This is now my calcium-packed treat of choice! Again, this smoothie really has too much sugar to be considered a healthy breakfast, but it is delicious as a substitute for ice cream or a milkshake. I have also made a double recipe and poured half of the mixture into popsicle molds to freeze. They do indeed taste much like orange push-ups!

Check out these other calcium-rich recipes:  Breakfast Shakes and Basic Cheese Sauce

 

Orange Yogurt Smoothie

Makes 2 smoothies

Ingredients:

6 ounces vanilla Greek yogurt
1/2 can calcium fortified frozen orange juice concentrate, slightly softened
3/4 cup milk
1 Tablespoon sugar
Handful of ice cubes

1. Place all the ingredients in a blender, cover and pulse until ice is completely crushed and smoothie has a creamy consistency. Serve immediately in two tall glasses with straws.