Summer Thirst-Quencher: Watermelon Juice

Something refreshing for the hot summer days that are just around the corner. Try this thirst-quencher made with the season’s favourite fruit by Get Naked in the Kitchen author and nutritionist Briana Santoro.

Ingredients:

2 cups watermelon (packed)
8 mint leaves
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 ice cubes

Directions:

Put all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth (it doesn’t take long).

Makes 2 small glasses

TIP: To make popsicles for the summer, make the recipe above but don’t use the ice cubes. Place the liquid in a popsicle stick tray and freeze until solid. Makes 9-10 popsicles.

TIP: To make this more of a slushy, make the recipe above (without the ice cubes) and pour it into ice cube trays. When it is frozen, throw the ice cubes into a high-speed blender and blend until slushy (don’t over blend).

Story:

Water is definitely my go-to beverage of choice. However, sometimes in the summer I’m looking for something to sip on that packs a punch of flavor, is refreshing, and spruces up my usual water routine. This is especially true if I’m entertaining and looking for a healthy juice to serve; one that isn’t chock full of artificial sweeteners, flavor packs, and coloring agents.

Nutritional Benefits:

The high amounts of lycopene in this drink make it a great anti-inflammatory beverage. Nowadays inflammation is a big problem for a lot of people and this inflammation is leading to many chronic illnesses. The lycopene actually gives the watermelon its reddish-pink color, similar to grapefruit!