Fruity merienda recipes from 'Pinoy MD'

Most Filipinos eat more than three times a day– enjoying snacks or “merienda” between the usual breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

The GMA-7 health program  “Pinoy MD” says there’s nothing wrong with eating more than three times a day, as long as the snacks are nutritious and healthy.

Here are some healthy merienda recipes you can try at home:

Banana-Mango Turon



Ingredients:

1 tbsp. vanilla
1 cup honey
3 pcs. saging na saba, sliced horizontally
2 pcs. ripe mango, sliced thinly
Lumpia wrapper
1 cup vegetable oil

Directions:

Mix the vanilla extract and honey. Soak the bananas in this mixture, which serves as an alternative to sugar. Wrap the banana and sliced mangoes in lumpia wrapper. Fry until golden brown. There's no need to deep fry the turon. Shallow frying will help maintain its crispness.

You may also top the turon with chocolate syrup and all purpose cream.

Health benefits: Mangoes are rich in Vitamin C, which boosts the immune system. Meanwhile, bananas are rich in potassium.

Strawberry-cucumber milkshake

Ingredients:

1 cup strawberry
1 pc. cucumber, diced
1 cup fresh milk
1 cup honey
Ice cubes

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth.

Health benefits: Strawberries are rich in antioxidants, which keep the skin smooth and healthy.

Fruity halo-halo



Ingredients:

Crushed ice
1 pc. melon, sliced
1pc. coconut, shredded
1 pc. banana, sliced
1 cup condensed milk
3 tbsp. honey

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients in a glass. If you don't have an ice crusher at home, you may wrap an ice block in a piece of cloth and pound it using a pan.

Health benefits: Coconut meat contains electrolytes, which keeps the body hydrated.

–Rica Fernandez/PF, GMA News