WATERMELON WONDER SMOOTHIE

The kids had fun knocking on watermelons before we purchased one for this wonderfully simple and refreshing watermelon mint smoothie.  A whole ripe watermelon should have some weight to it and a deep, almost hollow sound when you tap it with your fist!

Waiting until your watermelon is ripe is important from a nutritional standpoint.  Watermelon is super rich in the carotenoid phytonutrient known as lycopene.  Among its numerous health benefits, lycopene may help prevent cancer, heart disease, and osteoporosis, and protect against memory loss in disease’s such as Alzheimer’s.  Watermelon's lycopene concentration rises steadily as the watermelon flesh is left to ripen from white to pink to the deep red colour we all love.

This recipe can be made with fresh or frozen watermelon.  If you use fresh, it has more of a "juice" consistency, whereas frozen fruit makes a thicker smoothie.

For 2 servings, blend together until smooth:

• 2 cups fresh or frozen de-seeded watermelon chunks

• 1 cup coconut milk and/or coconut water (I used a combination)

• a squeeze of fresh lime juice

• a few fresh mint leaves

• Lakanto monkfruit sweetener, raw honey (nonvegan), or stevia, adjusted to taste

Notes:

Try adding a handful of fresh strawberries or a Tbsp of beetroot crystals.

If serving as a meal or more substantial snack, this smoothie works well with the addition of 2 Tbsp chia seeds and your protein booster of choice, such as 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, 2 Tbsp Further Food collagen peptides, or 2 Tbsp Nuzest Clean Lean vanilla or natural protein powder.