Smoothies are a brilliant way to get your daily dose of fruits and veggies—they’re easy to make, portable, can be customized, and are delicious. It’s really no wonder that they’re all over social media and selling so well at cafés. Whether you’re one of those people that drinks a smoothie every morning or one that hasn’t really gotten into the smoothie movement, here are 15 amazing tropical smoothie recipes to shake things up a bit and bring a little taste of paradise into your life.
Raspberry Sunrise Smoothie
Via: damndelicious.net
If you’d like sunshine in your glass when you wake up, try this raspberry smoothie! You only need four ingredients: raspberries, mango, milk, and orange juice. First, combine the raspberries, milk and some ice in a blender and set it aside. Then, combine the mango, orange juice and ice in the blender and set it aside. Next, pour the raspberry portion into your glass and top it off with the mango mixture. You can top the whole thing off with a raspberry as an added touch. It’s so pretty and fun to look at it, too! This smoothie is great because it’s not overly sweet. It’s also packed with fiber, provides some protein, and has almost no fat. There’s no doubt that you’ll enjoy it.
Rainbow Smoothie
Who doesn’t love all things rainbow? Skittles, Lucky Charms… and now, rainbow smoothies, are all on our list of pretty rainbow-like things that bring us joy. This is not your typical smoothie, though, as it has seven layers of fruity goodness. Since you’re layering the fruit, you’ll need to make sure that they’re thick, not too liquidy. You can do this by freezing them beforehand. For each layer, you’ll want to mix the fruit of your choice with half a cup of Greek yogurt, a frozen banana, and a liquid for blending (water will do). For the red layer, you can use strawberries and raspberries. For the orange layer, peaches and mangoes could work. For the green layer, spinach is your best bet. You get the idea! This is definitely a cool and unique smoothie (with lots of health benefits)!
Pineapple Carrot Coconut
Via: photo.foodgawker.com
We all know the health benefits of carrots (it’s one of the best sources of Vitamin A, which is needed for eye health) yet many of us don’t eat enough carrots. Whether your excuse is that you don’t like the way it tastes or you don’t have the time to eat or cook veggies, we’ve got a solution for you. Try incorporating carrots into your morning (or evening) smoothies! More specifically, blend some carrot juice together with pineapples, a small banana, Greek yogurt, and shredded coconut. It sounds weird, but it’s actually really delicious! If you’d like less sugar, you can try cutting the amount of carrot juice in half and replacing the other half with water. The carrot also gives this drink a bright orange color and overall tropical vibe.
Strawberry Watermelon
Via: urbanblisslife.com
Watermelon smoothies are not something you hear about often, but they should be (because they’re awesome)! One problem that people run into with watermelon is that they’re too liquidy to make a smoothie. The secret to a great watermelon smoothie (that’s just the right amount of thickness) is to add chia seeds. These tiny seeds will expand as they soak up water and are also a source of omega-3 fatty acids. This recipe calls for a bit a lime juice, two watermelon chunks, a cup of strawberries, four teaspoons of chia seeds, an inch of ginger, and one and a half teaspoons of maple syrup. Just blend it all up with some ice and you’ve got a lovely, pink tropical smoothie to cool you off.
Mango Papaya Smoothie
What’s more tropical than mangoes and papaya? Both of these fruits are juicy, delicious, and super healthy! Both have antioxidants (such as carotenes and Vitamin C) that help to prevent cancer and they also clear up your skin, improve eye health, help lower your cholesterol, aid digestion and more. To make this amazing smoothie, simply chop up your (seedless) papaya and mango and add them to a blender with ice and regular or coconut milk (if you’d like your smoothie to be creamier). You can also add some brown sugar to sweeten it, but you probably won’t need it! To put a twist on it, you can also add some avocado, honey, or lime juice. Find which combination works best for you and let us know!
Wild Blueberry Smoothie
In addition to tasting great, blueberries have so many health benefits; they fight off free radicals (which cause diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and heart disease). Wild blueberries, however, are a much better choice than regular blueberries. They’re bigger—allowing for more of the good stuff such as antioxidants—and are more intense in flavor. This makes them ideal for smoothies because regular blueberries are usually overpowered by other fruit flavors in a smoothie. To make your wild blueberry smoothie, simply add a banana, wild blueberries, pineapple, coconut flakes, flaxseed, cottage cheese, and coconut milk to a blender. You can add ice to make a thicker consistency as well. The color of this smoothie is also gorgeous, like an exotic flower (that’s one of the great things about tropical smoothies).
Pineapple Orange Creamsicle Smoothie
Remember those orange popsicles with the ice cream inside (Creamsicles)? Yes, the things that childhood dreams are filled with. If you want to bring back the nostalgia and do something positive for your health, try out this pineapple orange Creamsicle smoothie. You’ll need to blend together an orange, some frozen pineapple, almond milk (or any milk of your choice), pure vanilla extract, and ice. If you’d like to make the smoothie creamier, just add some vanilla Greek yogurt (or vanilla protein powder if you’re into that). This yummy beverage is packed with Vitamin C (an immune system booster) thanks to the oranges. Pineapples also have many health benefits—they aid with digestion, have antioxidants, and help to strengthen your bones. What more could you ask for?
Mango Strawberry Swirl
Via: chefdehome.com
Mangoes, with their bright sun-like color, really are like the poster child of tropical fruits. They go well with many other fruits such as papayas, raspberries, pineapple, and bananas. But, one of the best combinations is mangoes and strawberries. For this smoothie, you’ll need a cup and a half of Greek yogurt (or plain vanilla yogurt), a couple of mangoes, about 10 strawberries, and a cup of water. First, you’ll purée the strawberries with 2 tablespoons of water in a food processor. Then, you’ll blend the yogurt with mangoes and a cup of water until smooth. Finally, add the mango-yogurt smoothie and strawberry purée in an alternate fashion. Finish it off with a spoon of strawberry purée and swirl it with a toothpick. Then, add a berry to garnish. Almost too beautiful to drink, isn’t it?
Avocado Dragon Fruit Smoothie
Via: ciaoflorentina.com
Dragon fruit sure sounds (and looks) like an exotic fruit, so it’s the perfect ingredient for a tropical smoothie. These funny-looking fruits are actually very beneficial to your health; they contain a high amount of fiber (so they may help to regulate diabetes), they have active antioxidants, and good fats that help to lower cholesterol. To add a little something extra to your morning smoothie, follow this recipe to combine avocado with dragon fruit, resulting in the creamiest smoothie you’ll ever have. First, you’ll want to cut up the avocado and throw out the seed. Then, blend the avocado, dragon fruit purée and milk together. Next, add lemon juice, bee pollen (which is surprisingly nutritious and can be found in most herb or nutrition stores), chia seeds, vanilla extract, and honey.
Green Tropical Smoothie
Via: cdn.averiecooks.com
Green smoothies are a great way to get your daily dose of veggies, especially if you normally don’t like the taste of veggies. To make a green tropical smoothie, start off with a banana base. Then, add frozen pineapple and mango, non-fat vanilla yogurt, and coconut milk (or you can try coconut water, which is filled with electrolytes). Finally, add a cup of spinach and blend until smooth. You really won’t taste the spinach either, but you’ll get all of its benefits. Spinach is high in zinc (which is important in maintaining a healthy immune system), protein, fiber, and numerous vitamins. If you enjoy this green smoothie, you can also try out some other variations by adding other green veggies such as kale, avocado, and cucumbers.
Hawaiian Berry Smoothie
There are few places more tropical than the beautiful islands of Hawaii. If you’d like to feel like you’re in paradise, this Hawaiian berry smoothie can help. There are two layers to this smoothie: the orange Hawaiian layer and the purple berry layer. To make the Hawaiian layer, you’ll need one sliced orange, two frozen bananas, one cup of frozen mango, and a quarter cup of orange juice (or more if the smoothie is too thick). For the berry layer, you’ll need berry yogurt, two cups of frozen berries (blueberries and blackberries work best if you’d like this layer to be purple), a quarter of a cup of milk, and a frozen banana. Once you blend each layer and pour them separately into a glass, you can top it off with a toothpick filled with fruit and enjoy.
Creamy Coconut Smoothie
Via: kitchentreaty.com
Piña coladas are probably the first drink that comes to mind when you imagine a hot day at the beach with a glass by your side. But, if you’d like that pineapple and coconut taste while still being healthy or staying away from alcohol, this virgin piña colada is the perfect drink for you. You’ll need some coconut milk (or the cream of coconut), pineapple yogurt (or plain yogurt and chopped pineapples), a large banana, a few ice cubes, and the zest from one key lime. Once you blend the ingredients together, top if off with some toasted coconut and a pineapple wedge to make it look extra fancy. This smooth, creamy coconut smoothie is great for summer get-togethers or just for a quiet afternoon alone.
Dragon Fruit Smoothie Bowl
A great alternative to a traditional smoothie is a smoothie bowl, which is exactly what it sounds like. Smoothie bowls can be a bit more fun than a regular smoothie because you can decorate it with whole fruit pieces, grains, and nuts. If you like taking pictures of the foods you eat, making a smoothie bowl is highly recommended for you to try out since they’re colorful and can be made to look like a piece of art. One tropical smoothie bowl to try is the dragon fruit bowl. Simply blend two frozen bananas, a dragon fruit, coconut milk and chia seeds together. Then, pour it into the bowl evenly and top it off with slivered almonds, coconut flakes and sliced peaches (or whatever else you’d like)!
Raspberry Lime Smoothie
If you’re having a get-together with the girls, this lovely raspberry lime smoothie is a great choice. The bright pink color of it is just breathtakingly beautiful and enough to make you happy, even if you’re drinking it without the girls. It’s similar to the (rather pricey) berry refreshers you can pick up at your favorite coffee shops. First, you’ll need to make limeade (which is basically a combination of lime juice and honey) and add it to your blender. Then, add yogurt and frozen raspberries and blend until smooth (you can use whichever flavor you’d like, but if you can find key lime pie-flavored yogurt, it’ll make this extra special). Top your glass off with a sliced key lime and there you have it!
Mango Smoothie Bowl
Via: downshiftology.com
If you’re not a fan of dragon fruit, you should try out the mango smoothie bowl instead. It’s like having a bowl of tropical sunshine to wake you up in the morning. To get started, add some coconut water to your blender (alternatively, you can use coconut milk or orange juice if you’d like). Follow this with bananas and pineapple and mango chunks. Once you’ve blended these together and poured the mixture into the bowl, top it off with blueberries, more pineapple chunks, coconut flakes, and granola. This smoothie is packed with lots of nutrients to kick start your day: there’s Vitamin A in the mangoes, Vitamin C in pineapples, antioxidants in blueberries, and good fats in coconut. So healthy for something so delicious! How can you resist that?
Sources: downshiftology.com, deliciouslysprinkled.com, theplantstrongvegan.com, the36thavenue.com, thefirstyearblog.com, foxandbriar.com, ciaoflorentina.com, chefdehome.com, withsaltandwit.com, rdeliciouskitchen.com, manilaspoon.com, eatthriveglow.com, celebratingsweets.com, damndelicious.net, thefirstyearblog.com
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