Mango and Pineapple Smoothie

My boyfriend recently ordered a whole case of mangos. And he said they were good. Trust an Indian guy when he says a mango is good—he knows! The night before, I had also made some sweet and sour chicken, so I had some pineapple chunks and juice in the fridge. It was a grey day outside and I needed a healthy pick-me-up for breakfast, so of course I married the two fruits together into this delicious smoothie. If you’re in need of a fruity kick up the butt, make this smoothie. You won’t be sad about it.

You’ll notice a weird ingredient called camu camu powder in the list below. You don’t have to add any supplement powders into your smoothie, but when I can I do just so I feel I’ve done my utmost to make a healthy drink. Camu camu is a sour berry from the Amazon rainforest and it has a lot of health benefits: high in vitamin C, high in antioxidants, anti-inflammatory properties, as well as many others. Plus it has a sour zing that really adds to the tropical flavour I was going for. If you don’t have this to hand or don’t want to add any supplements, that’s fine too.

Now, let’s talk coconuts. Seeing as we’re going for a tropical theme here, I added a drizzle of canned coconut milk to add a hint of creaminess to the drink. I also added a teaspoon of coconut oil to add the coconutty flavour. Apparently, coconut oil contains medium chain fatty acids, which—without getting too scientific because I’m no scientist—are easy to digest and sent directly to the liver to create energy. So, it’s basically a bit of extra fuel to power you through the day. It also adds to the creaminess of the smoothie!

Whenever I make smoothies, I tend to measure with a random mug from the cupboard—nobody got time for measuring stuff in the morning, amirite? So, grab your blender and your mug and let’s knock up a smoothie!

Recipe

Serves 2

2 mangos

1 banana

1/2 mug of pineapple chunks (fresh or tinned)

1/2 mug pineapple juice

1 mug of ice

1/2 camu camu powder (optional)

1 tsp coconut oil

A drizzle of coconut milk

1. Put the fruit in the blender, followed by the pineapple juice, coconut milk, coconut oil and camu camu powder (if using). Top up with ice. Lid on. Blend. Pour out into some cute glasses or glass bottles and pop in a reusable straw (let’s save the environment, people). Breakfast is ready.

Tip: start blending by pulsing first, then go on to continuous speed on low, increasing to high. Your blender blades will thank you later. I prefer my smoothies icy, a bit slushy-like. But if you prefer a more liquid smoothie, either use less ice or add more pineapple juice or water.