Ordinarily, this is the time of year we start to celebrate the change of season with fun fruity drinks and cocktails, but maybe you’re thinking you’ve already had too many “Quarantinis”. Maybe the waste-line is expanding but you still want a sense of normalcy and to celebrate with some fancy drinks. This blog will teach you some tips and tricks to provide balance with healthy shakes, smoothies, how to make healthy cocktails, and mock-tails (healthy cocktails without alcohol).

How can I balance my nutrition so I can enjoy cocktails and mocktails?

If you’ve been following along, you know I am a huge proponent of drinking my daily dose of dense nutrition in the form of plant-based superfoods. The superfood complex I drink is a proprietary blend of antioxidants, plant-based proteins, phytonutrients, adaptogenic herbs, prebiotics, probiotics, vitamins, and minerals. You can enjoy this summer version of my vanilla plant-based superfoods:

Coconut Smoothie with Lime

Ingredients:

• ½ cup unsweetened coconut milk beverage
• ½ cup of water
• 1 cup ice
• 1 scoop Vanilla Shakeology
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
• ½ tsp. pure coconut extract

Instructions:

1. Place coconut milk, water, ice, Shakeology, lime juice, and extract in a blender; cover. Blend until smooth. Enjoy!

Healthy smoothies and shakes to promote weight loss

Greens greens greens! Anything green! I love green drinks, smoothies, and shakes. I have a blend of greens that comes in an easy scoop that I like to drink with just water, but that can also be mixed with coconut water, or any shake or smoothie to enhance the nutritional value. 

How to make a green smoothie?

You may be wondering which green smoothie is the best, there is no right or wrong answer to this, but here are some tips to get you going. All you need to make a tasty green smoothie is a blender, fruit and leafy greens. The right ratio of leafy greens to fruit is what makes it sweet as you reap all the health benefits of a green smoothie. The key is to use recipes that actually taste good and follow my simple tips below:

1. Blend 1 cup of spinach, or other leafy greens of your choice, in a blender.
2. Add 1 cup of liquid and blend well (until all leafy chunks are gone).
3. Toss in fruit, such as frozen mango, pineapple and bananas in the blender.
4. Next, blend again until smooth and creamy.
5. Serve smoothie immediately for maximum nourishment.

Blending Tips to Get Started

1. Follow the 60/40 formula. When you’re making your first few green smoothies, don’t just throw things in the blender. Chances are, it’ll taste nasty if you wing it right out of the gate. To save you a few smoothie-fails, bust out those cute lil’ measuring cups and learn how to make your own green smoothie.
2. Blend in stages to avoid leafy chunks. Chewing your green smoothie is no fun! To get a “smooth” green smoothie experience, blend up your leafy greens and liquid-base first. Add your remaining fruits and blend again.
3. Ditch the ice and freeze some fruits. Want your green smoothie to be extra chilly? Freeze your favorite fruits like ripe bananas, grapes, pineapple or berries. You can also freeze your leafy greens in a freezer-safe bag. Just make sure to add your frozen greens straight to the blender.
4. Use raw natural sweeteners. Add naturally sweet fruits to any smoothie that tastes bitter or a bit too “green.” My favorite naturally sweet fruits are bananas, mango, apples, pears or pitted dates.
5. Make smoothies ahead for the perfect fast food. Life is crazy busy, especially in the morning. That’s why we think green smoothies are the healthiest fast food for people who are constantly on the go. You can prep your green smoothies and blend the night before and store it in your fridge (up to 2 days).

Ok, you’re probably tired of me talking about the ways to stay balanced and healthy so you can DRINK without the guilt, so let’s get to the fun stuff…

How to make a healthy cocktail

• Low sugar alcohol 
• Low sugar additives (some fruits naturally have less sugar than others…I love watermelon and or cucumber in a cocktail and mmmm mint is always a lovely addition)
• No alcohol (essentially mock-tails are the healthiest, but they don’t take the edge off quite the same)

Strawberry Watermelon Margarita Recipe

The other day at Whole Foods I was shopping on an empty stomach so I, of course, wanted to buy everything in the store. They had frozen organic watermelon chunks that immediately had my mouth watering, so I knew I had to have them. I was making tacos for dinner and we had a small amount of Jose Cuervo pre-mixed strawberry margarita leftover form another evening. It was a “hot” spring day so I mixed equal parts margarita mix and frozen watermelon and there you have it, an easy delicious low cal watermelon strawberry margarita! 

This could easily be done with a margarita mix that does not have alcohol and if you want to make it a skinny mix using either a pre-made skinny mix such as Skinny Girl Margarita or make your own with fresh lime juice, water, salt, and agave! If you’re planning to make this with alcohol that is not pre-mixed I recommend a silver tequila! 

Another popular low-cal summer drink that I love is sometimes affectionately called a Ginny Hendrick’s (that’s if you’re using Hendrick’s gin, but you could use any gin). Traditionally this drink has tonic, but I prefer to use soda water and a splash of St. Germaine or elderberry liqueur to make it tastier and skinnier. Then, of course, I like to add all the green things.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz Hendricks Gin (Or gin of choice)
• 3 oz Soda
• 1 oz St. Germaine (or elderberry) 
• juice of half a lime
• 4 slices of cucumber (pureed or muddled in the bottom of the glass)1 sprig fresh rosemary (used as a garnish and to stir, or muddled in the bottom) 
• Mint 

Now we are on to the mock-tails: healthy cocktail recipes without alcohol. Adorable copper mugs have made the Moscow mule quite popular, but that are also zingy and refreshing for any summer occasion. Here is a way to make it non-alcoholic by Like Mother Like Daughter.

Mock Mule Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 lime (1-2 tablespoons juice, fresh is best)
• 1 TBS simple syrup
• 1/4 cup club soda
• 3-4 mint leaves (torn, optional)
• 3/4 cup Ginger Beer (make sure it’s non-alcoholic)
• crushed ice

Instructions:

• At the bottom of the cup, pour juice from the lime, simple syrup, and club soda. 
• Add mint leaves if desired.
• Fill the cup about halfway with ice.
• Then pour about 3/4 a cup of ginger beer over the ice. 
• Garnish with mint leaves and a lime wedge if desired, and serve.

In case you didn’t know, I’m just a basic California girl who loves lavender and avocado toast. So this recipe is for my fellow basic babes. 

Sparkling Lavender Lemonade (ohsodelicioso.com)

Ingredients:

• • 1 cup of water
  • 1 cup of sugar
  • 2 drops lavender essential oil or 1 tbsp dried lavender or 10 springs fresh lavender
  • 1 cup lemon juice about 6 lemons juiced
  • 3 cups cold sparkling water
  • 1 drop purple food coloring optional

Instructions:

1. 1. Create a simple syrup by combining 1 cup of water and sugar in a small saucepan. If using fresh or dried lavender add that to your saucepan.
   2. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Let cool to room temperature.
   3. using a fine-mesh strainer, strain lavender from the simple syrup.
   4. Combine lemon juice, simple syrup, and water in a 1-quart pitcher. If using an essential oil, add 2 drops of lavender oil.
   5. Add food coloring if desired.
   6. Serve with ice and lemon slices.

Recipe Notes: For this recipe, I used lavender essential oil, but fresh lavender flowers and dry lavender will work just the same. If using dry lavender make sure it is culinary lavender. If you do opt to use an essential oil – please make sure that it is food grade. Not all essential oils are created equally.

If you feel like you are wanting more recipes, tips, and tricks to living your healthiest life, I have lots more tips where those came from. All of my meal plans include access to hundreds of recipes and short, easy, all levels workouts. If you have any specific recipes you would like or fitness program questions, always feel free to reach out to me.

Love and Light Always

Sarah 

 

“Sarah Savino is my recommended Wellness and Nutrition Coach who resides in Colorado but has a community of clients she guides and manages nationally. She has her frequent retreats that her clients are encouraged but not required to attend and someone who knows first hand how it is to be overworked and overweight. She is a living truth that once within the right community and with the right guide, everything is possible. She can be reached thefitphilanthropist@gmail.com and facebook.com/sarah.savino IG- the_fit_philanthropist ”- Dr. Shakib, your Irvine Posture Chiropractor