Refresh after a day in the heat with a super easy, nutritious, and delicious ice-cold watermelon mint drink.
Summer greetings, everyone! The heat is definitely on, and after a long afternoon spent mowing the lawn and weeding the garden, I’m ready for something cool and refreshing to drink. Because I’m quite health-conscious, soda and sugary drinks just don’t strike my fancy. So, what does this gal reach for instead? My favorite cold watermelon drink, which I whip up in my blender in less than 2 minutes. It’s lip-smacking good, gorgeously pink, super nutritious and amazingly filling (even though it’s extremely low in calories).
Watermelon is a thirst-quenching fruit loaded with natural sugars, carotenoids such as lycopene and beta carotene, and potassium. If you happen to retain water, watermelon should be your go-to fruit, as it has natural diuretic properties that dramatically reduce that waterlogged feeling. Wonderful for those of you with high blood pressure, too, due to the high potassium content. The recipe below is easy to make. All you need is an average kitchen blender. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Watermelon Mint Drink Recipe (aka Virgin Pink Mojito)
Watermelon juice, naturally high in pick-me-up sugars, is the perfect choice to refresh, refuel and rehydrate following a hard, sweaty workout or an afternoon spent mowing the lawn. This sensational, celebration-in-pink juice blend is also an excellent beverage to serve for alcohol-free summer entertaining. Sweet-tart and cooling to the palate, it looks especially enticing served in prechilled fancy glassware garnished with sprigs of fresh mint. For a festive option, add party appeal with colorful straws and tiny decorative umbrellas. Here’s to summer!
Ingredients
- 4 cups cold, seedless watermelon, roughly cut into 1-inch chunks
- Juice of 1 medium lime (about 1/4 cup)
- 1 tablespoon raw honey or agave nectar
- 5-10 fresh mint leaves
- 2 mint sprigs for garnish (optional)
Directions
1. Place the watermelon, lime juice, honey, and the 5-10 mint leaves in a blender. Liquefy until smooth and the mint leaves appear as tiny specks, about 30 seconds.
2. Pour into two beautiful glasses with or without crushed ice. Garnish glasses with fresh mint sprigs, if desired.
Yield: 2 generous servings
A good source of: potassium, vitamin C, beta carotene and the cancer-fighting carotenoid lycopene.
Excerpted from Raw Energy © Stephanie L. Tourles. Used with permission of Storey Publishing.
You can learn how to make more fabulously nutritious and delicious raw food recipes by reading my best-selling book, Raw Energy: 124 Raw Food Recipes for Energy Bars, Smoothies, and Other Snacks to Supercharge Your Body (Storey Publishing, 2009). I’ve also written many other “healthy living” books, including my most recent, Hands-On Healing Remedies: 150 Recipes for Herbal Balms, Salves, Oils, Liniments & Other Topical Therapies (Storey, 2012), and my popular title Organic Body Care Recipes (Storey, 2007).
