Health

Healthy Recipes: 4 Shakes and Smoothies to Beat the Heat

Stay cool with these refreshing and easy-to-make drinks.

With the right ingredients, shakes and smoothies can be a filling and refreshing meal on their own. Photograph courtesy of Shutterstock.

With a national heatwave on our hands, temperature control has become a big deal. Unfortunately, many prepackaged frozen treats are loaded with sugar, fat, and other diet downfalls. We asked two local registered dietitians for some healthy alternatives, and they shared these four tasty and nutritious shake recipes.

Jennifer Haas, MS, RD, had a bevy of recipes for us. “I just throw stuff in a blender and call it ‘yum,’” she says of her chilled concoctions. We picked our three favorites.

Key Lime De-lite in a Cup
Ingredients:
½ cup unsweetened almond milk
1 Oikos Key lime Greek yogurt (personal size)
1½ frozen bananas
1½ tablespoons lime juice
1 scoop vanilla protein powder

Steps:
1) Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend to desired thickness. Serve.

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Lower-Your-Cholesterol Shake
Ingredients:
1 scoop chocolate brown-rice protein powder
5 ice cubes
¼ cup raw oats
1 pinch xanthan gum
½ cup unsweetened almond milk
1 cup water
1 Stevia packet

Steps:
1) Combine everything except the raw oats in a blender. Blend to desired thickness.
2) Add the oats and blend very briefly. Serve.

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Frozen Sweet Potato Pie
Ingredients:
1 serving of Greek yogurt (7-ounce container)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
½ sweet potato, cooked
5 ice cubes
1 cup water
1 tablespoon agave or 1 to 2 Stevia packets (optional)

Steps:
1) Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend to desired thickness. Serve.

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Gingery Watermelon Liquado
A liquado is basically a Mexican-style milkshake made with fresh fruit
and a splash of milk or water. This one is rich in the antioxidant
lycopene, which may play a role in cancer prevention. It’s also
incredibly hydrating and refreshing on a 100-degree day, says Frances Largeman-Roth, author of Feed the Belly. If you want to kick it up a notch for adults, add two ounces of rum per batch.

Ingredients:
2 cups diced seedless watermelon
1 cup ice
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
A 12-ounce bottle of ginger beer (such as Reed’s Original Ginger Beer), chilled

Steps:
1) Combine the melon, ice, and lime juice in a blender and blend until liquefied.
2) Pour the mixture into two tall glasses and add half the ginger beer to each glass.

For more recipes, visit Well+Being’s Healthy Recipes page.