5 Smoothies To Combat The Desi Festive Season

Smoothies are a great refresher!. Try all 5 of our smoothies, a different one for each day of the week. Then make your favourite ones for the weekend! Trust us when we say, that you will get a health boost, and you’ll be making these smoothies again, and again, and yet again!

Whenever we’re expecting guests, my lovely mother dons her giant apron, gets out a large pot and lands it on the stove. Whether it is our Pakistani version of meaty Paye, or the Indian Pav bhaji. We desis celebrate the festive season to the core. We satiate ourselves with rich savouries and then indulge further with ladoos, mithai, Karanji (fried pastry stuffed with dessicated coconut and dry fruits), Chakli (deep fried snacks)… and I could go on. But in short,…I eat loads of everything everytime, and regret it just as much later…

Does anyone else relate to this?

And while we can’t miss these delicious, heavy meals, fitting in some quick, healthy smoothies may definitely make a difference. So here are my 5 star smoothies that are both quick and healthy!

• Beetalicious Smoothie

Star ingredient: Beetroot

This deeply crimson, sweet vegetable is loaded with iron, betaine, and antioxidants. When it comes to a good liver detox, beets ace the list. Beetroots can boost liver functions greatly by diluting our bile that allows it to flow more easily through the liver. Coupled with a few wedges of tomato and watermelon, this is a wonderful Summer Smoothie.

Taste-wise: 7/10 – tangy BUT sweet

Recipe: 

1 grated medium-sized beetroot

1 sliced tomato

1/2 cup watermelon

• Classic Green Smoothie

Star ingredient: Cucumber

What’s a healthy Summer without a classic green smoothie?! If you’re a ‘remorseful foodie’ like me, you will definitely feel better after consuming some fresh, dewy greens. Cucumbers are the-summer-vegetable, being 90% water, they can work very well in replenishing our hydration. Green superfoods like spinach and parsley score high in iron and potassium content and can really help with chronic fatigue. Parsley juice alone is great for improving kidney function.

Taste-wise: 5/10 – may taste bitter but you will ALWAYS get your greens

Recipe:

1 sliced cucumber

A handful of spinach

6 sprigs of parsley

2 tbsp lime juice

1 tsp of freshly grated ginger

• Fresh Pear Smoothie

Star ingredient: Pear

Pears are a natural solution for an upset stomach. Incorporating a pear smoothie 3-4 times a week can regulate our digestion by enhancing the secretion of gastric juices and purifying our liver as well. Routine intake of celery can greatly reduce inflammation in our bodies, which is usually a sign of a poor liver. Carrots, packed with flavonoids are generally used for liver diseases. They help improve eyesight, and balance blood pressure.

Taste-wise: 8/10 – you’re good to go!

Recipe:

1 pear cored and sliced

2 celeries chopped

1 grated carrot

• Fleshy Grapefruit Smoothie

Star ingredient: Grapefruit

Citrus is our skin’s best friend in summers. Although this pink, fleshy fruit is terribly tart in taste, it has amazing benefits. The natural sugar content in grapefruits can be broken down easily, plus the water content helps push out toxins from the body. Kiwi, with a whopping amount of vitamin C is a great source of detox. Balance the bitter flavor with a banana, and you have yourself a detox portion!

Taste-wise: 5/10 – can be extremely pungent

Recipe:

1/2 grapefruit sliced and seeded

2 kiwis cut in wedges

1 banana

Caution: If you’re on blood pressure medication, you might want to have this smoothie occasionally.

• Banana-Berry Smoothie

Star ingredient: Banana

This smoothie is super tasty, perfectly sweet, and one of my favorites. Bananas, the evergreen fruit is especially a keeper in summers because it is very good for dehydration and ensuring kidney health. Filled with phytochemicals, strawberries are the life of a fruity summer diet. Along with a cup of thick, rich greek yogurt that prevents the growth of harmful bacteria and improves the health of your gut flora, this smoothie should definitely be your next glass-of-happiness!

Taste-wise: 9/10 — sweet and a little tart

Recipe:

2 bananas sliced

7-8 strawberries cut in half

3/4 cup greek yogurt