The heat outside can have you craving for a delicious, cool drink but perhaps the thought of calories involved stops you. Or maybe you are not counting calories but simply prefer to consume more healthy treats.
Either way, the typical store bought iced teas, coffee mixes and juice powders are not the best option – go in for summers coolers that are healthy and delicious, so you can enjoy them absolutely guilt-free.
Here are some recipes you could try:
- Strawberry Lemonade – Take 3-4 strawberries and chop off their leaf-bearing end. Squeeze the juice of one whole lemon and put in the blender with the chopped strawberries. Add a couple of mint leaves (or more if you like the flavour), a cup of water and 3-4 ice cubes. Blend till a beverage of even consistency is produced. Pour into a glass and add a slice of lemon. Voila! You have a tangy, refreshing drink which only contains about 40 calories.
- Sweet Honey Tea – Boil a cup of water and add a tea bag of regular or green tea, but only once water is off the stove or the tea shall be bitter. Let the tea bag infuse for about 1-2 minutes, depending on how intense you want the tea flavour to be. Add a tablespoon of honey and some crushed mint leaves, and mix will. Pour the hot drink into a tall glass and top with chilled water and ice. A nutrient-rich cooler carrying only around 60 calories is not yours to enjoy!
- Watermelon-Basil Juice – This recipe serves 4, so adjust proportions according to your needs. Take about 4 cups of watermelon chunks (seeds included if you like the crunch) and place over a thin-mesh sieve, sitting in a large bowl. Add 10-16 basil leaves and use a metal ladle to press the watermelon so the juice collects in the bowl below. Extract as much juice as possible and add a pinch of black salt and ¼ teaspoon white vinegar to it. Now mix in 4 cups of chilled water, stir well and serve this lovely under-50-calories drink.
- Fruity Green Tea – Prepare some green tea and chill in the refrigerator. Combine ½ cup of orange and ½ cup of pomegranate juice with 1/3rd cup of this chilled green tea. Freshly squeezed juices are preferred though packaged ones will do as well (go for the ones with low sugar and no added preservatives in the latter case). Add one teaspoon of lemon juice to the above and mix well. Your approximately 110-calorie summer cooler is ready!
- Homemade Ginger Ale – Add a cup of water, 1 tablespoon sugar and two small pieces (1.5 cm diameter, 0.5 cm thickness each, roughly) of ginger to a sauce pan. Bring water to a boil over medium heat and then let it simmer for another 1-2 minutes. Strain the water and let it cool; there would be only about ½ a cup or lesser amount left. Pour chilled water into a class and top with soda. Add a slice of lime and sip on this yummy home-brew which has less than 80 calories!
These summer coolers are absolutely yummy. You can adjust the proportion of ingredients to suit your palette wherever necessary. Beat the heat with these and it’ll be a summer you’ll remember fondly!
