Although the summer seems to come and go without rhyme or reason in this strange old country of ours, the summer fruit and veg is very definitely here. One of the best ways to get this lovely fresh produce down you is in a long refreshing smoothie.

With just a blender we tell you how to turn these summer delights into a health packed, glass of goodness.

To keep it cheap it’s best to buy fruit and veg that are in season, so right now we’re talking: kiwis, strawberries, blueberries, tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce.

(*Tip - get hold of these cheap at your nearest market, especially at the end of the day - plus if your blending them, it doesn't matter if they're a little damaged or over-ripe. Also using fruit at it's rip-est is more likely to ramp up the sweetness, so you won't need to add in any extra sugar.)

Serve first thing in the morning for breakie, Or impress your friends by casually offering them one when they visit.

Sweet smoothy treats

Banana berry

• A cup of frozen berries
• 2 bananas
• ½ cup apple juice

Whizz all the ingredients around in the blender for about a minute until smooth. Pour into a glass and enjoy straight away. This is a pretty simply recipe, so be creative and add in a bit more fruit if you fancy, on the plus side - it won't take forever to make.

Strawberry freshness

• 3 kiwis peeled
• 1 cup strawberries
• 1 large banana, chopped
• 1 cup orange juice

Freeze the fruits for about 15 minutes before blending for a firmer texture. Plonk the fruit pieces into the blender and mix on a high setting until everything is nearly smooth. Perfect for those hot summer evenings, it's guaranteed to cool you down.

Minty grapple

• 2 cups of red grapes, stalks removed
• 2 apples, cored and cut into quarters
• Fresh mint leaves
• Some ice, if it's super hot

Juice together the grapes and apple. Stir in the mint leaves. Pour into a glass over ice. Okay, so it's not strictly a smoothie, but who can say no some minty apple goodness? For an even longer lasting drink dilute with sparkling water.

Oh so orange

• 2 oranges, peeled
• 2 large carrots, chopped
• ½ to 1 inch ginger to taste
• 1-2 splashes of water
• Ice, if you want

Squeeze the juice of one orange straight into the blender and add the other orange along with the ginger and blend. If it starts to get a little thick add in some water. When everything's in blend blend blend - until it's thick and smooth.

Sophisticated Savoury

When you think of smoothies, fruit may just come to mind but they’re also fantastic with a selection of vegetables too. For those watching their waistline, they’re also a lot lower in calories - and the perfect summer snack.

Light and leadfy

• 1 cup of water
• 1 small cucumber
• 4-6 stalks of leafy greens
• Juice of one lemon
• A snippet of fresh ginger

Blend everything together until frothy and enjoy right away. This is a very fresh drink that's bound to give you an extra kick on the slowest of days. Be warned though it does have an acquired taste, but with some super cheap ingredients why not just have a go.

Tomato madness

• 4 medium sized carrots, chopped
• 6 medium sized tomatoes, quartered
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• A few pinches of ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice

Freeze the chopped tomatoes and carrots for 30 minutes. Pop the frozen tomatoes in and blender. Add in the carrots, blend again and then add the rest of the veg - blending after each one until you have a smooth liquid. This is really tasty and so good for you it's untrue. Enjoy!

Simply green

• 6 leaves of red leaf lettuce
• A bunch of fresh basil
• Juice of ½ lime
• 2 celery sticks
• ¼ avocado

Dash the lot straight into the blender, on a high speed for a super thin beverage or a little slower for a fuller frosty sip. The mix of flavours in this are really subtle and are a great place to start if you're just trying out savory blends.

So there you have it, a few nifty, classic, recipes to get you started with your smoothies. Don't forget to be creative, now you're in the smoothie game start throwing in as many fruits and veg you can find and get experimenting - you never know what you could come up with.

Tags: Student food , Student Summer Indulgence