Whether its work, school or children, outside factors can get in the way of healthy eating. You hear that six meals a day is the optimal for a healthy body, but as the hours in a day tick by, sometimes you might feel it’s impossible to even sit down and eat three times a day. With that said, a blender can be just as valuable in your kitchen as the burners on your stove.

Don’t underestimate the power shakes and smoothies can have on your diet. For one, they’re obviously quicker to make than cooking an entire meal. Saving time is usually what most people strive for and blending up a smoothie can take less than three minutes. Another benefit of shakes and smoothies is the amount of power-packed food you can put in them. Healthy diary products such as milk and yogurt, protein powders, peanut butter, and healthy carbs like fruit and oatmeal are all items you can whip up into not only a tasty meal, but a healthy and quick one too. Finally, shakes and smoothies fill up your stomach so you feel full longer and have the energy to stave off hunger until your next meal.

Here’s a recipe for a healthy smoothie packed with good carbs and protein. Feel free to change the serving sizes as you wish:

– Blend three ice cubes
– 1 Cup Frozen Mixed Berries
– 1 Cup oatmeal (you don’t have to cook it)
– 1 Container of yogurt (get a yogurt low in sugar)
– 1 Cup milk
– Blend on high until all the ingredients are mixed

Feel free to add a scoop of whey protein to insure you’re getting enough daily protein for those working out.