Your budget may say no to a vacation cruise to the tropical islands of Jamaica, Trinidad or Barbados this year, but you can take a Caribbean trip of sorts on any hot summer evening with a tasty and nutritious tropical smoothie made from ingredients at your local produce market.

PINEAPPLE-COCONUT

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 cup pineapple chunks, canned in juice, drained

1 teaspoon coconut flakes

1/2 teaspoon coconut extract

Add all ingredients to blender and process until smooth. Multiply ingredients to serve as many as you’d like. Makes 1 serving.

MONSTER MANGO

1/2 cup pineapple juice

1 cup orange sherbet

1 banana

2 cups mango, sliced

2 cups ice

1 teaspoon lime juice

Add all ingredients to blender and blend on high until your desired thickness, pour into cups and serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

KIWI-STRWBERRY

4 large strawberries

2 peeled kiwi fruits

1/2 cup of your favorite yogurt

1 cup of whole milk

Blend the strawberries, kiwis, and milk first until smooth, then add the yogurt and blend for about 1 minute. Makes a single serving.

STRAWBERRY-ACAI

Acai must be kept cold to maintain its true nutritional value. Many prefer the pulp version of the berry instead of the juice because the pulp is sold frozen.

To avoid degrading the berry any further, try using the powdered version. Tastes great either way.

8 ounces Açaí juice

8 whole strawberries (fresh or frozen)

1/4 cup plain yogurt

1/4 cup soy milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place all of the ingredients into a blender and blend on high for approximately 20-30 seconds, or until you reach your desired consistency. Serve chilled. Makes 2 servings.

MANGO-PAPAYA

1/2 ripe mango, peeled and seeded

1/2 ripe papaya, peeled and seeded

1 ripe banana

1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1/2 cup skim milk

1/4 cup nonfat yogurt

1 teaspoon good honey

2 cups ice

In a blender, combine the mango, papaya, banana, orange juice, milk, yogurt, honey, and ice. Blend until smooth. Serves 2.

TASTE OF THE TROPICS

1 cup mango, cut into cubes

1 banana, cut into large chunks

1 cup pineapple chunks

1 kiwifruit, peeled and sliced

2 cups plain nonfat yogurt

1 cup ice cubes

Combine mango, banana, pineapple, kiwi, yogurt, and ice cubes in a blender. Puree until smooth and thick.

Pour into 4 tall glasses chilled in the freezer.

Leftovers? Freeze in sealable plastic containers. Defrost in the microwave for 30 seconds and stir to blend.

SKINNY GREEN

3/4 cup light coconut milk

6 ounces fat free Greek yogurt

3/4 cup fresh pineapple, cubed

1 ripe medium banana

1 cup spinach

2 tablespoons sweetened shredded coconut

1-1/4 cups ice

Put everything into the blender and blend until smooth. Makes about 3-1/2 cups.

TROPIC BREEZE

1/2 mango, diced

1 banana, roughly chopped

Handful of ice cube, crushed

3/4 cup plain yogurt

6 strawberries, roughly chopped

1-3/4 cups whole milk

Put the mango and banana into the blender along with the ice, yogurt, milk and chopped strawberries.

Blend all the ingredients for 30 seconds then pour into two tall glasses and serve.

MANGO-ORANGE

1/4 cup mango-orange juice, frozen concentrate

1 cup frozen strawberries

1 large banana, frozen and peeled

2 scoops pineapple sherbet

1-1/2-2 cups cold water

Pour all fruit and 1-1/2 cups of the water into blender and blend until smooth. Add more water as necessary. Serves 2.

CARIBBEAN COOLER

1 mango, peeled and seeded

1 papaya, peeled and seeded

1/2 cup fresh strawberries

1/3 cup orange juice

5 ice cubes

Place the mango, papaya, strawberries, orange juice, and ice cubes in an electric blender.  Process until the ingredients are smooth. Makes 2 servings.

MANGO WITH A TASTE OF GINGER

1/2 cup chilled pineapple juice

1 cup diced mango

1 banana, sliced

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

1/2 teaspoons grated, peeled fresh ginger

3 ice cubes

In blender, combine pineapple juice, mango, banana, lime juice, ginger, and ice.

Blend until mixture is smooth. Pour into 1 tall glass.

COCONUT & MANGO

1 banana cut into chucks

1/2 cup coconut meat

1/2 cup mango

1 cup of milk

1/2 cup of vanilla ice cream

Blend the banana chunks with the milk, ice cream, mango, and coconut until a smooth texture is formed.

The smoothie should be very sweet and tasty. Serves 3-4.