When Mathew Shepard gets a late-afternoon hunger attack, he reaches for a blender and a few foods that don’t appeal to him in their solid form.

“I hate strawberries and bananas, but I love strawberry-banana smoothies,” says Shepard, Norton freshman, who also blends in the occasional vitamin caplet or spoonful of peanut butter. “I like to experiment with different combinations and use fruits I don’t normally eat. Drinking a smoothie is easier than sitting down and eating all those foods individually.”

Quick, simple and minimally messy, smoothies are perfect nourishment for busy college students who might also have trouble fitting fruits into their diets. Americans slurped down $2 billion worth of smoothies from restaurants last year according to a report by the market research group Mintel. Though smoothie sippin’ is healthier than other on-the-go dining options, whipping up your own blended drink at home can be even more nutritious and delicious.

“Making your own smoothies is definitely going to save you money,” says Pat Crocker, culinary herbalist and author of The Smoothies Bible. “Apart from the cost, you also know the ingredients that are going into the smoothie, and you know the quality of the ingredients.”

The Smoothies Bible details the health perks of smoothie standards like bananas and oranges, and also the benefits of not-so-common ingredients like almonds, beets and parsley. “Most people think of the traditional fruit smoothies out of California that were blended right on the beach,” Crocker says. “Sweet fruits make them appealing, but putting vegetables and herbs in your smoothies can give you more nutrients.”

A smoothie can fuse together so many diverse, wholesome foods that it becomes a powerful super-food, fit to battle ailments from the common cold to indigestion to anemia, Crocker says.

Never fear: You don’t need to give your fridge a makeover in order to start some healthful, unconventional smoothie crafting. Crocker says adding foods that are likely already in your kitchen such as leafy greens, cinnamon or green tea can provide antioxidants or boost your immunity to certain illnesses, adding to the already high nutritional value of a smoothie.

The Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion recommends two cups of fruit and two and a half to three cups of vegetables per day for men and women ages 19-30, according to www.mypyramid.gov. “Not many students can achieve this,” Crocker says. “That’s why smoothies are so great, because you’re getting two to three servings of fruits or veggies in every drink. One of the easiest ways to eat your fruits and vegetables is to drink them.”

Bailey Bosc, Birmingham, Ala. sophomore, prefers drinking her doses of fruits and veggies by concocting apple and carrot smoothies. She says both foods have a sweetness that complements the other. “Usually you associate carrots with saltiness, but when you juice them they’re really sweet and tasty,” Bosc says. Smoothies made with avocados—a fruit oft mistaken for a veggie—are a scrumptious staple at Bosc’s favorite café in Memphis. “They’re smooth and creamy and surprisingly sweet,” she says.

Fruits come packed with natural sugar, though Delia Quigley, nutritional counselor and author of Simply Smoothies: 200 Refreshing Drinks for Life, Health and Fun, says replacing real fruit with pasteurized fruit juice isn’t a healthy substitution. The swap is why some smoothie shop blends aren’t so nutritious, Quigley says, and perhaps another reason for students to take smoothie making into their own hands.

“Pasteurized fruit juice reduces the fruit down to a really inferior food,” Quigley says. “It becomes just like water and sugar, and ends up lacking the nutrients you’d get if the juice was freshly squeezed. Your energy will go up for a little bit and then you’ll crash.”

Quigley adds that because many college students’ diets lack raw produce, they’re missing out on a host of nutrients that can not only keep them energized, but can strengthen their hearts and bones while also improving their skin and even their moods.

“Raw fruits and veggies are the source of life,” Quigley says. “The more you live on pizzas and refined foods, the more problems you’ll have with your health and emotions. Those problems in some way have to do with the quality of food you’re eating, and so you can turn them around if you eat properly and take the right nutrients.”

Gina Fisch, owner of Perfect Balance Weight Management, 935 Iowa St., says incorporating healthier, uncustomary foods into a smoothie doesn’t have to detract from its deliciousness. “If you’re already using strawberries, adding cottage cheese in with the strawberries can give it a great strawberry cheesecake flavor,” Fisch suggests.

A smoothie is only fit to replace a meal if it contains protein, Fisch says, which can come from such smoothie-friendly foods as yogurt and milk. Blends made solely with fruit should just be considered snacks.

Fortunately, simple fruit smoothies at snack time can still give you a lift. They’ve helped Shepard beat colds and stay energized, and such feats have made him a steadfast smoothie sipper. “I would definitely have a smoothie over other snacks because it’s healthier and more filling,” Shepard says. “I’d even have one over Grandma’s double-chocolate chip cookies.”