For the hotter summer weather, we all want to look great in a pair of shorts or a swimsuit. The best thing to do is start your day out with a healthy breakfast but most of us don't have the time to cook one up so we look for healthy, quick alternatives. Smoothies are a great way to start your day because you can have your fruits, greens, and protein in a smoothie. But, you want to have the smoothie maker that will give you a smooth, creamy, delicious smoothie.

Are you going to be making a smoothie for your entire family or just for you? There are a variety of sizes of smoothie makers; some will make just enough for one person and others will be large enough to make smoothies for the whole family. If you want to take a smoothie maker to work so that you can make one a little later, a smaller one might be the one to choose. Regardless of how much you are making, you will want your smoothie maker to have a sturdy, firm base with a tight-fitting lid. If you didn't have time to make a breakfast, you surely don't want to take the time to clean up a smoothie mess.

Choose a smoothie maker that can blend frozen ingredients such as ice and frozen fruit. A smoothie maker providing 500 watts of power will usually do the trick of blending up the ingredients. There is nothing worse than trying to drink a smoothie with lumps of a partial puree veggies and fruits mixed with chucks of ice. Sometimes you might want to choose a fresh fruit when they are in season for a more satisfying taste. Definitely include a banana in your smoothie as they have key nutrients such as fiber, vitamin B-6, and potassium. You can add plain yogurt and non-fat milk to make it a little more fluid. Another alternative would be soy to almond milk. Try to avoid fruit juices because of the calories that they add; there will be enough fruity flavor in the fruit you choose. The blades should be a strong metal capable of blending everything into a great tasting smoothie free of chunks and lumps.

Add your favorite protein powder for added nutrition; vanilla flavored works well because it does not overpower the fruity taste. Protein is what keeps the "hunger pangs" at bay between meals. Adding a protein powder will give you a boost and give longevity to your breakfast smoothie so that you don't reach for the sugar glazed donut in the break room at work.

Some smoothie makers will have variable speeds so that you can begin the blending process slowly and then add more speed once the ingredients are mixed together. Some even have a timer that you can set to turn the smoothie maker off once it has reached the desired consistency.

Enjoy!