Start your day with this cleansing tropical turmeric smoothie. Only six simple ingredients and loaded with nutrients for energy and clarity.
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Growing up, I was a huge fan of having a heaping bowl of sugary cereal for breakfast. These days, I can’t stomach a heavy breakfast.
I don’t typically eat a full meal until around noon. But since I either lift or do fasted cardio early in the morning, I want to replenish my body with energy-rich nutrition shortly after working out.
Healthy smoothies are my go-to. Sometimes I use a protein powder, and sometimes I opt for fruit, greens, seeds, and some health-boosting ingredients.
When it comes to fruit, I’m a huge fan of tropical smoothies. Pineapple, mango, and banana are my go-to’s. They pack a huge punch of flavor, plenty of natural sweetness, and vitamins and nutrients.
For a long time, I avoided any of the ‘out of the ordinary’ smoothie ingredients. It felt wrong putting ‘spices’ into my blender with pineapple and almond milk.
Well, I’ve had a change of heart and started to venture out into the world of earthy flavors, increased health benefits, and new recipes. One of the first smoothies I made after making the decision to add new ingredients was this tropical turmeric smoothie.
Since first making it, I have tweaked it a little to be appealing to different palettes. Do you ever notice how sometimes you crave a really sweet, almost milkshake-like smoothie, and sometimes you want something a bit more savory?
This tropical turmeric smoothie is definitely more earthy than it is sweet. But the pineapple and mango definitely come through and provide a very nice subtle sweetness.
Related: 7 Health-Boosting Smoothie Ingredients to Try
I’ve added both turmeric and ginger to this otherwise basic tropical smoothie recipe. The two bonus ingredients add spice and loads of nutritional benefits.
- Turmeric contains curcumin which helps with inflammation, blood sugar regulation, cholesterol management, menstrual pain, joint pain, and immune health.
- Ginger helps improve digestion, reduce muscle pain, encourage good heart health, and can promote detoxification in the body.
While the two ingredients are from the same family and are both rhizomes, they each have their individual benefits. And because their flavors can mesh well, together they become a superfood duo. This is the Turmeric Powder I use.
You can read more about the research done with turmeric and the benefits here.
You can use any blender to make this smoothie. I love using my Nutri Ninja Auto-IQ Blender. The Auto-IG setting blends all of my smoothies to perfect consistency. And the precise blades help break down frozen fruits and vegetables to get the most nutrients.
Tropical Turmeric Smoothie Recipe
The great thing about smoothies is that they can be easily adapted and changed to fit your personal preferences. Try this recipe without the optional raw coconut sugar first to judge the sweetness. If you find that it’s a bit too earthy or bitter, try adding the raw coconut sugar.
Aside from the tropical flavor, coconut milk is beneficial in this recipe. The coconut milk provides healthy fats that help your body absorb the nutrients found in turmeric, ginger, and fruit.
However, if you are allergic to coconut, you can substitute another milk of choice. To replace the fat, you can add 1/2 a tablespoon of extra-light virgin olive oil.
Tropical Turmeric Smoothie
A cleansing tropical smoothie with all the nutritional benefits of turmeric and ginger. Earthy flavor with subtle tropical sweetness.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup coconut milk, chilled
- 2/3 cup almond milk
- 1/2 cup frozen pineapple
- 1/2 cup frozen mango chunks
- 1 tsp. turmeric
- 1 tsp. grated ginger
- (optional) 1/2 tbsp. raw coconut sugar
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend for 45 seconds to 1 minute.
Turn it into a Protein Smoothie
If you want to ensure you are getting your recommended amount of protein in, you can add vanilla protein powder to this shake.
Doing so will increase the sweetness and change the flavor, consistency, and calories in the smoothie. But, I have used both a vegan vanilla protein powder and a vanilla whey powder and both have been delicious.