Watermelon Mint Smoothie-- Cool, Refreshing, and Anti Inflammatory

Before I share the details on my newest favorite smoothie, I have to give a shoutout to Julie from Running in a Skirt, whose Watermelon Mint Smoothie recipe gave me the inspiration to create my own. I would never have considered combining watermelon and mint, but with an abundance of mint in the garden, I needed to find a way to use it. And wow--what a yummy and refreshing combination!

Watermelon is the quintessential summer treat! In spite of watermelon's sweet, light character, watermelon is a nutritional powerhouse! Besides being relatively low in sugar compared to other fruits, watermelon is loaded with vitamin C. Watermelon also contains anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory elements as well as potassium and magnesium. The high water content of watermelon makes it a great post-workout snack. 

I absolutely love watermelon! With the availability of the smaller melons and seedless varieties, there's no excuse for not eating watermelon. Mint enhances the fresh taste of watermelon and the two are commonly served together, in smoothies, juices, and teas.

The watermelon can be chunked up and frozen in advance, but I'm not good about planning ahead. Instead, I blend my smoothie with about a half cup of crushed ice. Don't worry about the watermelon seeds. They'll just blend in with the rest of the ingredients. Plus, watermelon seeds are loaded with nutrients, similar to flax and chia seeds! Who knew?

As a post-workout beverage, I like to add protein to my smoothies. Vanilla works really well with this recipe, but you can use plain as well. It might seem odd to add milk to watermelon, but trust me when I tell you that the creamy texture is really good. Any variety of milk works well in this smoothie.

For an extra anti-inflammatory punch, I add maca powder and beet root power, but they aren't essential ingredients and can be omitted.

Watermelon Mint Smoothie

Click to print recipe

anti-inflammatory, gluten-free, vegan

Ingredients:

1/2 c crushed ice

2-3c chunked watermelon

6-8 fresh mint leaves

1 scoop vanilla protein powder (I use Nuzest)

1 tsp maca powder (optional)

1 tsp beet root powder (optional)

1/2-1c milk of your choice (I use Ripple) to preferred consistency

Add all ingredients to the blender. Adjust liquids as needed. Enjoy!

Fight inflammation and the heat with this Watermelon Mint smoothie! /via @oldrunningmom @Nuzest_USA @RippleFoods #runchat #inflammation #curearthritis