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We like our smoothie to be vibrant, colorful, and cool like a tropical sunrise.
Smoothies are perfect for the summer. They provide a quick energy fix to our kids on top of their game in minutes, literally. They can be excellent for breakfast, as a snack, as on-the-go nutrition for summer camp or road trips, and many more occasions!
Although there are plenty of unhealthy, overly sweet options in the market, I wanted to try something colorful without excessive sweetness.
Paying attention to sugar and salt is especially important when preparing food and snacks for kids and toddlers. We take it very seriously since our doctor strongly recommended avoiding added sugars and added salt until after they turned 2 years old.
Fruits, for that matter, are an excellent source of natural sugars, along with vitamins and beneficial nutrients.
Another great thing about fruit smoothies is that you can have beautiful and eye-catching colors without adding any artificial colors.
Tropical Sunrise Colors
The tropic offers beautiful scenarios. I love the way that the sun paints all kinds of wild palettes during the day, particularly early in the morning and late afternoon.
In Honduras, my home country, we have splendid coast-side views. The Caribbean is particularly colorful and the sunrise can be quite impressive.
Thinking about it, and the rich and sweet fruits from the tropic, this smoothie is the perfect match between vibrant colors, refreshing sweetness, and zestiness.
To make it, we chose to make a smoothie with two different layers, so we can emulate the prominent colors of a tropical sunrise. For this, we chose to have a red and a yellow smoothie, to create the sunrise colors.
We made each smoothie separately. The red smoothie will be the denser layer, so it needs to be served first, to fill the bottom. It’s thicker because it has bananas and the pulp of the watermelon and strawberries.
On top, the yellow smoothie has orange and mango for the color. It has bananas as well, but a bit less. Along with some water and yogurt, it has a lighter texture, although still creamy and delicious.
What is inside the Tropical Sunrise Smoothie?
More than poetry, the beneficial properties of each smoothie level are impressive.
I chose the ingredients thinking about health benefits since smoothies are a great option to have a quick snack and replenish our energies easily while on the go.
| Red Smoothie 🍓🍉 | Yellow Smoothie 🥭🍊 |
|---|---|
| Help to prevent chronic diseases due to its high antioxidant content Improves digestion Boosts heart health and blood flow Good source of calcium, manganese, potassium, iron, and vitamins | Boosts the immune system and helps to fight infections Improves heart and digestive health Good for eyes, hair, and skin health Rich in antioxidants Excellent source of vitamins, calcium, manganese, thiamine, copper, and thiamine |
Tropical Sunrise Smoothie
Equipment
- Blender or food processor
Ingredients
Red smoothie
- 4 cups of fresh watermelon (cubed, seeds removed)
- 2 cups of frozen organic strawberries
- 1 medium organic ripe banana (previously peeled, chopped and frozen)
- 2 medium lemons' juice
- 2 tbsp 2 Tbsp chia seeds
- 2 2 small beets, steamed/cooked
Yellow Smoothie
- 2 oranges, peeled and roughly chopped, seeds removed
- ½ banana previously peeled // chopped and frozen
- 1/2 cup water
- 1.5 cup mango, frozen
- 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp honey (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare Yellow Smoothie first. To start, add all ingredients to a blender. Pulse and blend until smooth.
- Add yellow smoothie mix to a pitcher/container while you prepare your other smoothie.
- Prepare Red Smoothie. Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Add more frozen strawberries if you see it’s too thin.
- Serve by adding first the denser, red smoothie and then the yellow smoothie. Add a sliced piece of watermelon on the rim of the glass for decor. Enjoy!
- Both smoothies are best when fresh, though you can store leftovers covered in the fridge for 1-2 days or turn them into popsicles!
If you liked this Tropical Sunrise Smoothie recipe, you might like some of my other recipes too. You can check them here.
And remember, if you try this recipe and want to share your pictures, remember to tag me @lacooquette on Instagram. I’d love to share your pictures on my IG stories.
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