The best way to beat the heat is to make a glass of refreshing smoothie using your trusty portable blender. Here are five summer smoothie recipes you can try. Serve these as a morning meal or afternoon snack, and get your daily serving of fruits, veggies and fibre the yummy way!
Note that these recipes suit portable blenders with up to 400ml capacity. Make sure to adjust based on your appliance.
1. Breakfast Smoothie Recipe
Smoothies make the best quick breakfast. They are filling and sweet enough to give you a good energy boost. With a portable blender, they’re ready in minutes, too.
And what better way to start your hot summer mornings than have fruit, oats, milk and honey in one big gulp? For this low-fat recipe, we’ll use ripe bananas for natural sweetness.
But if you prefer rich and creamy smoothies, I suggest using frozen bananas. You can also replace it with half a cup of frozen mangos.
Ingredients
- One ripe banana
- 1 tbsp rolled oats
- 80g blueberries or strawberries
- 150ml milk of choice
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Procedure
- Place all your ingredients in the portable blender. Then, blend until smooth.
- Pour your breakfast smoothie into a Mason jar or glass. Garnish with berries and granola on top.
2. Mango Lassi Recipe
Lassis are a 1000 BC-old creamy beverage that originated from India and Pakistan. It’s a blended drink traditionally made with yoghurt, water, spices and fruit.
Ancient people said it also has Ayurvedic or healing properties that can calm the mind and aid digestion.
For this summer smoothie recipe, we’ll make a version with mangos and cardamom. Ideally, fresh, sweet mangoes are best. But you can also use frozen or canned mango pulp.
And if cardamom is not available in your area, you can use other spices. Some good alternatives are cinnamon, turmeric, nutmeg, cumin, saffron, paprika, cayenne or a combination of these.
Ingredients
- 1 to 2 ripe mangoes (any sweet variety)
- 250g natural yoghurt
- 1 tbsp honey
- Pinch of ground cardamom (from 1 to 2 pods)
- One lime juiced to taste
- Salt to taste
Procedure
- Except for the lime juice and salt, place all the ingredients in the portable blender and blitz until smooth.
- Once done, remove the lid and add the lime juice and salt to taste. You can also stir in more cardamon (or use it as a garnish on top) if you want a strong-flavoured drink.
- Pour the fruit smoothie into a glass with ice cubes.
3. Mixed Berry Banana Smoothie Recipe
This one is one of my most favourite summer smoothie recipes because of the sweet and sour fruit flavours. It’s the perfect combination for a refreshing drink.
I also like the minimal prep work. All you have to do is measure the ingredients and dump them into the blender.
But to make things even easier, you can freeze and portion your fresh berries in advance. Here’s how to do it.
Wash and dry the berries, then place them on a baking tray in a single layer. If you’re using strawberries, slice them up to about the same size as the other berries.
Next, freeze them for up to 1 hour or until completely solid. When ready, use a spatula to scrape the berries, divide them into half-cup portions, and then place them back in the freezer.
This way, you can quickly grab (or thaw) a portion of fruit each time you want to make this healthy smoothie.
Ingredients
- ½ cup frozen berries
- Half frozen banana
- ¼ cup vanilla yoghurt
- 2 tbsp orange juice
- ½ tsp honey
Procedure
- Put all the ingredients in the portable blender. Then, blend until smooth.
- Garnish with a sprig of mint or more sliced berries.
4. Watermelon Milk Smoothie Recipe
If there is one fruit that best represents summer, it’s probably watermelons. You don’t even have to add lots of liquid to your watermelon drink because of the fruit’s high-water content – over 90%, to be exact.
It’s packed with vitamins and fibre, too. The problem with using watery fruit is it can make your smoothie slightly runny.
But with the correct ratio and choice of ingredients, you can make your watermelon smoothie creamy. Here’s a sample recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups watermelon chunks, frozen for a few hours before blending
- ½ cup milk (use almond, coconut, soya or whole milk)
- ¼ cup Greek yoghurt (use a natural one without added sugar)
- 1 tsp honey or maple syrup (optional)
Procedure
- Put all the ingredients in the portable blender. Blend them until smooth.
- Pour the fruit smoothie into a glass. Garnish with a small wedge of watermelon.
5. Strawberry Peach Smoothie Recipe
A hot sunny day can make you sweat and lose valuable minerals like salt. Aside from drinking more water, the best way to keep yourself hydrated is to have an electrolyte-rich beverage.
This summer smoothie recipe uses coconut water — a rich source of electrolytes. And with the addition of strawberries and peaches, this hydrating smoothie is yummy, too!
Ingredients
- ½ cup frozen strawberries
- ¼ cup frozen peaches
- ½ cup plain yoghurt
- ¼ cup coconut water
Procedure
- Put all your ingredients in the portable blender. Process them until smooth.
- Pour the drink into a glass. Garnish with mint and more berries on top.
Final Thoughts
Healthy eating doesn’t mean bland meals and drinks. With these delicious summer smoothie recipes, it should be easier to start a fitness routine and stick to it!
