Tropical Anti Inflammatory Smoothie
Full of bright and fresh flavors, just one sip of this delicious and silky Tropical Anti Inflammatory Smoothie will have you hooked! Pineapple, mango, banana, fresh ginger and turmeric are blended together with almond milk, lemon, a touch of honey, and two secret ingredients that give it a kick! Each ingredient has anti-inflammatory properties, making this a healthy drink option for any time of day.
If you love the flavors of ginger and lemon, then give this recipe a try! The unique combination of ingredients creates an energizing drink that is wonderfully healthy and deliciously addictive. A healthy and yummy way to brighten your day! To learn how to make this delicious & healthy anti-inflammatory smoothie recipe, see the printable recipe card below. Take a look at the recipe video, or get Step by Step Instructions for a more detailed explanation of this recipe. For other recipe variations (including vegan), and to learn about all the amazing health benefits of this smoothie, please visit the Pimp My Recipe section in this recipe’s Blog Comments & Tips.
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RECIPE
(Check out our Step by Step Instructions below the recipe card.)
TROPICAL ANTI INFLAMMATORY SMOOTHIE
Ingredients
Instructions
- Using a paring knife, thinly slice ginger (unpeeled). Using a vegetable peeler and wearing protective gloves (see Note #1), peel 1 inch of turmeric root, and thinly slice the peeled portion with a paring knife. With a 5 inch chef’s utility knife, quarter lemon lengthwise so you have 4 wedges. Remove seeds from 1 lemon wedge (from ¼ of a lemon with peel), and set each ingredient aside.
- To a high speed blender cup (see Note #2), add frozen pineapple, frozen mango, frozen banana, sliced ginger, sliced turmeric, 1 lemon wedge (including peel), almond milk, cayenne pepper (optional, but wonderful), black pepper, and honey (or agave or pure maple syrup for vegan option). Cover, secure lid, and blend until all ingredients are fully combined and smooth (about 1 minute).
- Pour into a tall 16 ounce glass, serve with a reusable straw (see Note #3), and enjoy!
Notes
- I always wear protective gloves when working with fresh turmeric root, as the pigment in the turmeric will stain your hands and fingernails a bright yellow. It takes a while to fade, so gloves are definitely recommended.
- Both the NutriBullet high speed blender and the Vitamix high-speed blender work extremely well for this recipe. If you don’t have a high speed blender, you can use a regular blender, but it may take longer to blend. Also, it may not make the smoothie as creamy in texture as a high speed blender.
- Because fresh turmeric root has such a strong pigment, it will not only stain your cutting boards, hands, and fingernails, but your teeth as well. Using a straw will help reduce the amount of staining on your teeth (yellowing).
- If using a larger 1 liter blender pitcher (or larger), this recipe can easily be doubled or more.
- Makes one 16 ounce serving.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
238.08Fat (grams)
3.8 gSat. Fat (grams)
0.19 gCarbs (grams)
54.91 gFiber (grams)
6.28 gNet carbs
48.62 gSugar (grams)
42.13 gProtein (grams)
3.67 gSodium (milligrams)
329.14 mgCholesterol (grams)
0 mgNutritional information provided is strictly an estimate and will vary based on ingredient brands and cooking methods. Substitute ingredients are not included in the nutritional calculations for this recipe.
Step by Step Instructions
PREPARATION
Organize all your tools and ingredients before you begin. Getting all your ingredients in one place at the beginning will shorten your prep time.
STEP 1
Using a paring knife, thinly slice ½ inch organic fresh ginger root (unpeeled). Using a vegetable peeler and wearing protective gloves (see Note below), peel 1 inch of fresh organic turmeric root, and thinly slice the peeled portion with a paring knife. With a 5 inch chef’s utility knife, quarter 1 large organic lemon lengthwise so you have 4 wedges. Remove seeds from 1 lemon wedge (from ¼ of a lemon - keep peel on), and set each ingredient aside.
Note: I always wear protective gloves when working with fresh turmeric root, as the pigment in the turmeric will stain your hands and fingernails a bright yellow. It takes a while to fade, so gloves are definitely recommended.
STEP 2a
To a high speed blender cup (see Note below), add ½ cup frozen organic pineapple chunks, ½ cup frozen organic mango chunks, ½ frozen banana, sliced ginger, sliced turmeric, 1 lemon wedge (with peel), 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk, 1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional, but wonderful), 1 smidgen ground black pepper, and 1 teaspoon honey (or for a vegan option, use agave or pure maple syrup).
Note: Both the NutriBullet high speed blender and the Vitamix high-speed blender work extremely well for this recipe. If you don’t have a high speed blender, you can use a regular blender, but it may take longer to blend. Also, it may not make the smoothie as creamy in texture as a high speed blender.
STEP 2b
Cover, secure lid, and blend until all ingredients are fully combined and smooth (about 1 minute).
STEP 3
Pour into a tall 16 ounce glass, add a reusable straw (see Note below).
Note: Because fresh turmeric root has such a strong pigment, it will not only stain your cutting boards, hands, and fingernails, but your teeth as well. Using a straw will help reduce the amount of staining on your teeth (yellowing).
SERVING
Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes:
If using a larger 1 liter blender pitcher (or larger), this recipe can easily be doubled or more.
Makes one 16 ounce serving.
VIDEO
How to Make this Delicious & Healthy Anti Inflammatory Smoothie!
Blog Comments & Tips
A delicious boost of anti-inflammatory nutrition!
This smoothie recipe is packed full of foods that have anti inflammatory properties. If you're looking for a healthy and delicious way to fight inflammation, this Tropical Anti Inflammatory Smoothie is not only good for you but it tastes amazing! This easy to make smoothie recipe is full of pineapple, mango, banana, fresh ginger, fresh turmeric, honey, and almond milk - all of which are known for their anti-inflammatory properties. Outside of the health benefits, I love the spicy heat from the ginger and secret ingredients, along with the fresh flavor from the lemon in this smoothie.
My smoothie recipe is full of antioxidants, and has the perfect mix of all-natural ingredients that are beneficial in naturally reducing inflammation in the body. Aside from its anti-inflammatory properties, this smoothie has so many other health benefits.
Fresh turmeric root is rich in phytonutrients that may protect the body and help shield cells from free radicals caused by pollution and sunlight damage. It also may help reduce some of the effects from chronic inflammation caused by arthritis, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, asthma, and allergies. I have been making this anti-inflammatory smoothie about once or twice per week for the last couple of months, and aside from enjoying the taste I’ve found that it does reduce some of my joint discomfort and inflammation.
Although this anti-inflammatory smoothie has helped me, you should always consult your doctor before consuming any medicinal foods or herbs, especially if you have any health conditions or are on any medications (as turmeric may conflict with some medications).
Cayenne pepper and ground black pepper are the two secret ingredients that give this smoothie an extra kick! Mixing compounds like piperine in black pepper and curcumin in turmeric, have positive effects on the body when they are combined. Piperine enhances the absorption of curcumin in turmeric, and magnifies the effects by up to 2,000 percent! Combining turmeric, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and ginger improves gut health, digestion, and immune support in the body.
To add even more health benefits, almond milk, bananas, pineapple, mango, and honey, all have different properties with powerful antioxidants and anti-inflammatory effects. For example, bananas are high in potassium and magnesium, pineapple contains an enzyme called bromelain, and mango is high in vitamin C, polyphenols, and carotenoids. Almond milk is high in vitamin E, and honey is used as a natural antibacterial agent. All these ingredients have varying antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties, all of which boost the immune system and may help reduce inflammation in the body.
How do you ensure the best results from this recipe?
My 5 tips to making this delicious Tropical Anti Inflammatory Smoothie:
Use high quality, organic ingredients. Fresh is always best, especially in this recipe.
Wear protective gloves when working with fresh turmeric root. Trust me on this…I’ve dealt with having yellow fingernails for a few days after handling fresh turmeric without gloves!
You can leave the peel on the ginger root if you use organic produce. I prefer to peel fresh turmeric, because it adds such a beautiful yellow color to this smoothie. You can certainly leave the peel on organic turmeric root, but know that it will give a brown tint to your smoothie, which may look unappealing to some.
Because there is no ice in this recipe, you need to start with organic FROZEN fruit. Trader Joe’s has great organic frozen pineapple and mangos. You will need to freeze your bananas ahead of time. To find out an easy way to have frozen bananas on hand all the time, just watch my how to video on the Tips & Tricks page for TIP #5 - How to Store Overly Ripe Bananas.
Because of its health benefits, don’t skip the black pepper. It will increase the effects of the turmeric by up to 2,000 percent! And, you won’t taste it because you are only using a scant pinch.
It’s time to customize and Pimp My Recipe.
Pimp My Recipe:
Make it Vegan: This is an easy substitution. Just swap out the honey for the same amount of either agave nectar or pure maple syrup!
Make it Less Spicy: Omit the cayenne pepper in this recipe. Although fresh ginger and black pepper are both spicy on their own, you should leave in these two ingredients for their health benefits. Plus, ginger gives it a great flavor!
Make it Sweeter: Just add more honey! Instead of 1 teaspoon, try ½ tablespoon of honey. Or if you like it really sweet, you can use 2 teaspoons or even up to 1 tablespoon of honey.
Make it Without Nut Milk: Allergic to almonds, or just don’t like them? Swap out the almond milk and replace with the same amount of coconut milk. Then add ¼ teaspoon of pure vanilla extract. Coconut milk also has anti-inflammatory properties!
Enjoy and let me know what you think by commenting below, rating my recipes, subscribing, following, and liking Prep My Recipe on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok! Don’t forget to subscribe to get updates on new recipes and tips & tricks.
Santé!
Mich
Footnote: To prevent staining your hands and fingernails, remember to wear protective gloves when working with fresh turmeric root.
Inspired by the Best Turmeric Smoothie recipe from downshiftology.com. I used the base of their recipe, then changed up the quantities and added more anti-inflammatory ingredients. The combination of these additional ingredients added more health benefits, and enhanced the tropical flavor in my smoothie recipe.
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