Juice your way to a healthier summer

December 1st, 2017

Appliance News

With the first days of Summer upon us, there’s nothing quite like a crisp, freshly-made juice or smoothie.

More than being a delicious energy boost, juices and smoothies are a fast and effective way of upping your daily nutrient intake; a nutritious go-to that takes minutes to prepare and enjoy. 

With that said, they can be deceptively high in sugar, making them closer to a rich dessert than a fresh, light beverage.  

Thankfully, we’ve prepared the best appliance, nutritious ingredients, and, of course, the freshest, tastiest recipes to keep you feeling healthy and refreshed without the sugary surprise!

 

First you need a great blender

There are a lot of decent blenders out there. Blenders that take an age to clean, or that conk out in a month. Blenders that’ll do the job. Or blenders that’ll do ONE job…

But why settle, as the saying goes, for second best?

And that’s where Sunbeam’s PB7950 MultiBlender comes in. Its simple design makes it easy to use – and, most importantly, easy to clean – making it ideal for a quick lunchtime pick-me-up or early-morning power smoothie. Having recently enjoyed using it myself, there’s no surprise our customers love it – they’ve rated it at 4.7 out of 5 stars! Click here to learn more about this amazing blender, and find out what our customers love about it!

The Sunbeam MultiBlender features a large 1.6L heat-resistant jug, making it great for hot blends like soups and cold liquids like juices. Its flexible lid with pouring hole means you can easily add ingredients during blending.

The Sunbeam MultiBlender is also very easy to clean, saving you valuable time and effort. A quick-cleaning program can be used for most leftover liquid, and for a more thorough clean, its six-blade assembly can be simply and safely unscrewed to get at those little bits quickly and without hassle.

A great variety of preset functions suits any occasion, including ‘Smoothie’, ‘Milkshake’, ‘Puree’, ‘Cocktails’ and many more. Each program has been tested and refined to ensure perfect results. Simply press on your desired option and walk away, leaving the blender to effectively work its magic!

You’ll get the perfect texture juicing and blending fruits, vegetables, and softer nuts (NB: with harder foods like carrots and potatoes, be sure to cut them into smaller pieces).

 

You’ll also want a delicious, nutritious base.

Watermelon water

H2Melons’s new watermelon water is a simple and easy way to get your melon fix. It’s refreshing and delicious on its own, and it’s also a fantastic option as a base for fresh Summer juices and smoothies (keep reading for some great recipes!).

Not only that, it’s absolutely packed with health benefits:

• It’s loaded with electrolytes for hydration, vitamin C for your immune system, and rich in lycopene, which is known for improving heart health and preventing plaque build-up in blood vessels.
• It’s an excellent diuretic and is extremely beneficial to the kidneys. Clean kidneys go a long way to improving your red blood cell production and overall health.
• It may reduce the risk of sunburn, prevent wrinkles and keep the skin younger (though these properties tend to be in the watermelon rind).

 

Coconut water

Now, if watermelon water isn’t your thing… H2Coco’s Coconut Water is no slouch when it comes to improving your wellbeing. It’s 100% natural, free of gluten and dairy, and is significantly lower in sugar content than most energy drinks or juice alternatives:

• It may be THE perfect beverage for hydration and replenishing electrolytes lost during exercise.
• It’s a great source of fiber, Vitamin C, and important minerals, including magnesium, manganese and potassium.
• It contains antioxidants, which help reduce free radicals (unstable molecules that are produced in your cells during metabolism).

We COULD give you plenty more reasons… but for the sake of brevity, let’s get to those recipes!

 

Now you’ll want some amazing recipes.

Because a good recipe never goes out of fashion (unless we run out of all the ingredients)!

Watermelon Basil Agua Fresca

 

 

 

 

 

 

The epitome of Summertime! It’s wonderfully light, crisp and refreshing, and the perfect pick-me-up for any time of day. It’s amazing how good you feel after one of these.

Serves: 2

Preparation: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 cups H2Melon water
• 10 basil leaves
• 1 cup water
• 1 juiced lime
• Ice (to garnish)

Method:

1. Add the watermelon water, water and lime juice to a blender. Process until smooth. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve (using a wooden spoon or spatula to help push it through), then pour into a pitcher.
2. Add the basil to the pitcher and use a wooden spoon to lightly muddle the leaves a bit. Chill in the refrigerator for several hours until nice and cold. Give it a stir then serve over ice!

TIPS:

• You can add agave, honey or sugar to taste, but I find this to be naturally sweet enough as is.
• If the thought of basil weirds you out, try a few mint leaves. Or just leave out the basil entirely, and you’ve still a delicious watermelon agua fresca.

 

Berry Blitz Smoothie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Berries are rich in antioxidants, high in vitamin A and C, and, thanks to a high level of polyphenols and fibre, have also been strongly linked to lowering risk of heart attack and heart disease, the number one killer of Australians.

When matched with the hydrating qualities and high potassium of H2COCO’s Coconut Water, these tiny little explosions of health take on a new and fantastic form. They’re that little blast of health for a warm morning or soaking up the afternoon balm.

Serves: 2

Preparation: 10mins

What you’ll need:

• ½ cup H2Coco Coconut Water
• ½ cup raspberries (fresh or frozen)
• ½ cup blackberries or blueberries (fresh or frozen)
• 6 large strawberries (fresh preferred)
• ½ cup low fat yoghurt (vanilla or Greek, if you prefer a slightly tarter finish)
• 1 tbsp honey
• A handful of ice cubes (optional or if using fresh berries)

Method:

1. Place berries, yoghurt, coconut water, honey and ice cubes in a blender. Blend until smooth and frothy.
2. Pour into glasses and serve.
3. Garnish with mint leaves and fresh berries, if desired. Enjoy!

TIPS: For the lactose intolerant or dairy-avoiders, the yoghurt is absolutely optional and is only included to add a bit of thickness to the texture.

Check out the original recipe here.

 

Watermelon Ginger Cleanse

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Serves: 2

Preparation: 10mins

What you’ll need:

• 2-4 cups of H2 Melon water (you can add fresh watermelon too)
• 2 teaspoons finely grated ginger
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• Mint leaves, to serve
• Ice cubes, to serve

Method: Place watermelon water, ginger and lemon juice in the blender and blend until smooth. Add sugar, if desired.

 

Mango Troppo Smoothie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Serves: 2

Preparation: 10-15mins

What you’ll need:

• 12-14 H2Coco coconut water ice cubes, regular or flavoured
• 1 banana (this recipe normally calls for 2, but to reduce sugar we’ve gone with 1)
• 2 mangos
• 1 cup strawberries (fresh or frozen)
• 1/2 cup Greek yoghurt
• 2 tablespoons honey (optional)

Method:

1. Fill ice tray with coconut water and freeze until solid.
2. Place the fruit and 12 to 14 coconut water flavoured ice cubes into a blender and blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

Note: This recipe asks for coconut water ice cubes, but you can substitute that for ~400mL of coconut water if you prefer.

 

Here’s to a juicy Summer!