Name: Summer Refreshers
Prep time: 5 min
Ingredients: ½ orange (peeled and seeds removed); ½ mango (peeled and pit removed); ½ heaping cup chopped carrot; 1 cup water; Ice (optional); 1 celery stalk; 1 kiwi (peeled); 1 cup chopped cucumber; Juice of ½ lime; 1 cup water; Ice (optional); 1 cup chopped pink dragon fruit; ½ apple (peeled or unpeeled); ½ inch knob peeled ginger (peeled); Handful baby spinach; ¾ cup water; Ice (optional); 2 teaspoons chia seeds

What Is A Summer Refresher?

A refreshing juice-smoothie hybrid I came up with for a light morning boost of nutrition or just a cooling beverage with some health benefits for when it’s hot out!

And it’s so hot out here.

These refreshers also make excellent summer-brunch or BBQ additions but I’ve been swapping them for my morning smoothie and having something light to eat an hour or two later.

These summer refreshers are immune-boosting, have no added sugar, are lightly sweetened thanks to fresh, seasonal fruits, and each version has a special immune-boosting spin.

I’ve given you three options that I’ve been loving!

Fresh and Green

A kiwi-cucumber-celery hybrid that has quickly become a staple in my morning routine. It sounds lame but you can almost feel your cells doing a happy dance as you sip!

Vitamin Summer

This vibrant orange summer refresher is made from carrots, fresh mango, and orange. It’s giving you anti-inflammatory vitamin C and beta-carotene. Fresh mango makes it extra summery!

Pink Passion

Pink dragon fruit has changed my fruit life! If it’s available to you, I highly recommend purchasing. Its sweet melon taste is just divine. In this refresher, dragon fruit’s neon pink pigments mask the addition of spinach. So it’s pink, but it’s also green! Apple and ginger round out the nutrition and flavour profile.

How To Make These Summer Refreshers?

You add all the ingredients to a blender with water and blend until smooth. Serve over lots of ice!

Juice or Smooothie?

The question “which is better, juice or smoothie?” always comes up.

And here’s the thing…

It depends!

Juices can pack a powerful healing and nutrient-dense punch with all kinds of greens and veggies whereas smoothies give you fibre and keep you full longer.

And the truth is you don’t have to choose! Experiment with juice and smoothies and see how you feel.

These Refreshers are a little of both!

They’re blended so they’re like smoothies in that you’re getting the whole food along with all the fibre and nothing is removed or sacrificed.

But they’re like juice in that they’re thin and light and hydrating. They’re made with fresh fruit and vegetables as oppose to smoothies which usually have some frozen components.

In my mind, you’re getting the best of both juice and smoothie worlds with these summer refreshers.

Try Adding Chia Seeds!

How to take it to the next level?

Add 2 teaspoons of chia seeds to the refresher after it’s made (before adding ice), give it a good stir or shake and let it sit in the fridge for about 15 to 30 minutes – allowing the chia seeds to absorb some liquid and thicken the mixture. You can even let it sit longer if you like.

I love to make the chia seed version of any of these refreshers, put it in a mason jar, and take it on the go. You can find this kind of chia-thickened juice in loads of fancy grocery stores but each bottle usually costs a fortune! So making your own is ideal.

Happy slurping! Enjoy your summer!