With the heat on a hike, we find ourselves craving for something ‘thanda’, something cool to drink. And often, to beat the heat, we give in to those sugary boxed juices or chilled bottles of aerated drinks. But when you are trying to eat healthily, and your goal is to feel good about everything you do… then you know you can’t be having that chilled Pepsi every other day. It is important to grab a healthy drink the same way we try to grab a healthy snack.
We all know how essential it is to keep ourselves hydrated; well then, read along and make these healthy, refreshing coolers at home for this summer season.
10 Amazing Healthy Drinks For This Summer
1. Kokum Juice
In a large bowl, soak 1/2 Cup Kokum fruit in 2 cups water for roughly 2 hours. Then blend it in a blender to make a coarse paste. Add this into a Kadhai, with 2 Cups sugar and 1/2 cup water and mix it till the sugar dissolves. Let it boil for about 10-15 minutes, stir occasionally. Soon enough, the mixture would become the consistency of a syrup.
Now, turn off the flame and add 1/2 Tsp Cumin Powder, 1/4 Tsp Pepper and a bit of salt. Mix well and pass through a sieve. Your Kokum syrup is ready, refrigerate it and use it when you feel like it. It stays good for 2-3 months in the fridge.
Whenever you wish to have a nice refreshing, healthy drink, pour 2 Tbsp of the syrup made and 2 cups of water. Mix well and serve with Ice and some mint leaves.
2. Spiced Iced Tea
Boil Water, Cloves and Cinnamon stick in a medium saucepan. Once done, place tea bags in the liquid, cover and steep for about 7-10 minutes. In another saucepan, combine Sugar, Orange juice and Lemon juice till it boils. Strain the tea into the juice mixture. Chill it for some and serve this tasty, healthy drink over ice.
3. Aam Panna
Aam Panna is a refreshing summer drink made with the pulp of Raw Mangoes mixed with some spices and mint leaves. It instantly hydrates us and gives us the energy to beat the heat.
To make some Aam Panna concentrate, boil some raw mangoes till they become soft and the skin loses colour. Once they cool down, remove the skin and squeeze out all the pulp and juice. Whenever you feel like having some of this delicious drink, add 1/2 of the concentrate, 1 cup of Water, some Cumin, Mint & Ice.
4. JalJeera With Chia Seeds
In a bowl, add a cup of water and 1 tbsp of Chia Seeds. Mix it and keep it aside.
Now make a JalJeera lemonade by taking 2 Cups of Water, some Lime Juice, and a bit of JalJeera mix and mixing it all with Sugar. (how much sugar and lime would ideally depend on how you like it to be, so taste it as you go and have it based on your palette. I like mine to be on the sweeter side, so I usually add 1/2Cup Sugar to 2 Cups of Water)
Once done, add in your swelled-up Chia Seeds (roughly about 1Tsp of it) to make your drink healthier, and enjoy with ice!
5. Cucumber Cooler
In a bowl, add a cup of water and 1 tbsp of Chia Seeds. Mix it and keep it aside.
Peel three medium-sized cucumbers and blend them in a mixer. Once done, strain it and add 2 Tbsp Lime Juice and 1 tbsp Honey. Then, give it a good mix. Add in about 1Tsp on Chia Seeds and top it up with Ice and Mint Leaves. Enjoy!
6. Roohafzah With Mint
In a bowl, add a cup of water and 1 tbsp of Chia Seeds. Mix it and keep it aside.
Mix 2 Tbsp Roohafzah in 1.5 Cups of Water. (this depends on how sweet you’d like yours to be). To that, add 1 Tbsp Lime Juice and 1/2 tbsp Honey. Give it a good mix. Add in about 1Tsp on Chia Seeds and enjoy it with some Ice & Mint Leaves.
7. Lassi/ButterMilk
Lassi is a desi quick-fix healthy drink for the summer heat. To make some, mix sugar into a cup of curd. Add in the flavors and spices you like best. I like to add Cardamon, Saffron & a bit of Vanilla. Mix it all up. Finally, finish with a cup of Ice and a Tsp of Milk.
8. Peach And Ginger Iced Tea
Brew some Green tea and let it cool down. Meanwhile, puree peaches in a blender, add in finely grated ginger and a sweetener of your choice. I like to add Honey to this. Now, pour in the cooled green tea in the blender too. Once it’s all blended, chill the drink for some. Serve this refreshing cooler with Ice!
9. Gur Sherbet
Gur Sherbet is, as its literal meaning suggests: a Sherbet with Gur. Gur is what jaggery is called in parts of India. It’s sweet, healthy, and purifies our blood.
To make this mix 100grams of Gur(Jaggery) with 2Glasses of Water. Once it’s dissolved, add a squeeze of lemon juice.
Enjoy with crushed Ice!
10. Badam Doodh
Blanch some almonds, then grind them into a fine paste. Now cook this paste in milk till it thickens up. Add in some saffron, too, if you like.
Once done, add in a bit of condensed milk and mix it all. Now add some cardamon powder. If the consistency is too thick for you, add in some milk from the top. Cool it in the fridge and serve with finely crushed almonds.
Have a hydrated, healthy summer. Stay Refreshed!
Read also – 10 Steps Of Kelly LeVeque’s Adaptable Diet Plan