Losing weight, feeling hungry? Try one of these healthy fruit smoothies...

Healthy fruit smoothies are a mainstay on my healthy food list for snacks. There are endless possibilities, and they are a perfect mini meal. Start by replacing one snack a day with a smoothie. For me and the kids, one after school gets us all the way to dinner, without feeling hungry at all

One of the biggest hurdles to get over when you're losing weight is feeling hungry. You restrict calories too much, thinking that less is better, and then find yourself looking for fatty and sugary foods.

Healthy fruit smoothies are a great hunger cure. Protein is one of the foods that has a filling feeling in your stomach, and the fruit not only gives you great flavour, but puts energy, fibre and necessary nutrients into your body. They're also quick and easy. (Just remember to put the lid on the blender...they can be difficult to get off the walls).

Healthy fruit smoothies...The Magnificent Mango

(I like this one quite thick, with lots of mango flavour. You can use either frozen mango cheeks - check nothings been added to them, or fresh ones)

3 Mango cheeks (the flesh of one and a half mangoes)

200 ml Cold low-fat milk

1 teaspoon honey (honey is sugar, but one teaspoon of sugar won't hurt you...just remember you've had one...and cut down on the other 15 by drinking less soft drinks, and checking the sugar content in processed foods)

Put it all into a blender, or use a stick mixer and whizz till smooth...pour into a tall glass, grab a spoon and enjoy.

Healthy fruit smoothies...Belicious Berries

1 cup of raspberries (this recipe is great with frozen raspberries)

Half a cup of cut strawberries

250 ml cold low-fat milk

1 teaspoon of golden syrup (as with the honey, this is still sugar...adjust, have less sugar elsewhere. I've tried it without the syrup, with honey, with sugar...but golden syrup makes it yummy)

Put it all into a blender, or use a stick mixer and whizz till smooth...pour into a tall glass, grab a spoon and enjoy.

Healthy Fruit Smoothies...Healthier without the sugary bits?

Some sugar is okay for you. If you're eating a lot of sugar in other things, then yes, leave the sugar, honey and syrup out.

You're losing weight for life...and you have to feed your body what it needs. If a teaspoon of sugar, or syrup or honey, is the difference between you really enjoying something like a smoothie, and therefore having one of these rather than a bag of chips, or a handful of lollies, or 2 glasses of soft drink...have the smoothie, add the teaspoon of sweet stuff.

This way you'll look forward to having one, losing weight shouldn't be about martyring yourself to a whole group of things you don't like. It's about making different, healthier choices, that you'll do long term and which will get you healthier, fitter, leaner...for the long term.

Experiment with various fruits and combinations, experiment with the quantities of fruit and the amount of low fat milk you use. There are certain fruit combinations that I love really thick...like a thick shake...and others that are nicer a little thinner, more milkshake in consistency.

You can have them anyway you want...have a play...what recipes do you love best?