Summer days are long and busy, and in the hotter weather, no one really feels like cooking up a storm in the kitchen. Smoothies are fun, tasty, and a colorful way to enjoy fresh ingredients and there are too many benefits to list but include zero cooking time, simple preparation, and minimal dishes. You can get super creative with what goes into the blender: liquid bases can range from the standard milk or yogurt to the lactose-free vegan options like coconut cream or nut milk or simply using some fruit juices are also great. Remember, too much liquid will leave you with a mess to clean up, and on the other hand, if your ingredients don’t contain enough liquids of their own and you don’t add, you’ll end up with a bit of a “dry” smoothie and things will generally not blend together very well. Smoothies that contain protein will satiate for longer, but they are meant as a light meal. So, for summer days it might be more appealing to choose lighter options for your family to enjoy as a refreshment rather than a high-energy packed quick-meal.
Summer Refreshing Smoothies
Watermelon With Mint
This is a nice smoothie with only one catch, make sure to get seedless watermelons or you’ll have to remove the seeds before blending the chopped pieces. A leaf of mint to each glass’s worth of blended watermelon and crushed ice, as the liquid base, will add a refreshing minty taste.
Melon, Banana and Honey
Fresh, ripe melon and banana blended together with some honey is a wonderful, but very sweet smoothie. We suggest crushed ice for a liquid base, but the creamy addition of milk can make this a rich and very enjoyable smoothie.
Strawberry and Banana
Perfectly simple and, we dare say, kind of timeless. Four or five frozen strawberries -blend better when their frozen- and a banana or two, add some milk, or nut milk, and you’ve got yourself a magical drink. No extra sweetener needed here.
Strawberry And Banana
Apple With Kiwi And Pear
These very juicy fruits blended together won’t need much extra liquid, milk can be replaced with a spoonful of cream, but crushed ice as the base makes this an awesome summer poolside drink.
Mango, Passionfruit and Banana
Mango and banana blended together with milk, soy, or dairy, make a tropical flavor like none other, and adding some passionfruit will send that flavor into overdrive.
Banana, Dates and Tahini
For a higher protein content in your smoothie, you can use Tahini with a sweet combination of Dates and Banana. Lots of sugars in two of the ingredients means that unsweetened nut milk would make an excellent liquid base for the dairy-free option, or milk would give this smoothie a nice creamy finish.
Banana, Peanut Butter and Cocoa Nibs
The convenience of using a smooth nut butter when making a smoothie is undeniable. Peanut butter is also a great form of plant protein and healthy oils. Bananas provide all the sweetness needed, but the cocoa nibs will add a slightly bitter flavor, not unlike coffee, and if that’s not your thing you can always add a little sweetener to balance out the taste again.
