Upgrade Your Summer with These Mouthwatering Smoothies

By Jediael Peterson

I have a lot of feelings about smoothies. I never really understood people’s obsessions with them and the thought of blending kale or spinach sounded anything but appetizing. This was before I lived in an apartment five minutes away from Jamba Juice.

What started as a nice pick-me-up after a long, hot day turned into a daily obsession that neither my bank account or Diamond Dollars were prepared for.

The issue with buying smoothies is that they can be expensive—it’s not a financially sustainable lifestyle for a college student. Fortunately, I have a kitchen and a Pinterest account.

I went on a hunt for the perfect smoothie recipe. After a whole school year of trying out different ingredients and techniques (some amazing, and some…questionable), I’ve compiled a list of my three favorite smoothies I’ll be all over this summer.

1. Let’s get tropical

This recipe threw me into the world of smoothie making. It tastes like summer but that might just be the mango talking. I'm a hot mess when it comes to measurements, but this time I did to help REFINE readers out. You’re welcome.

What you’ll need:

1 cup of strawberries
2 cups of pineapple
1 cup of sliced mangoes
1 cup of coconut water
A handful of ice*

2. For that summer sweat

Hitting the gym even more now that school’s out? Consider sweating from the monstrous 90-degree weather a workout? This smoothie is definitely for you. Nothing’s better than enjoying a sweet, icy smoothie after some huffin’ and puffin’.

What you’ll need:

1 banana
1 cup of strawberries
2 cups of pineapple
Flax or chia seeds
Coconut water
Handful of ice*

3. Kicking it poolside

This smoothie is everything you want your summer to be: fruity, relaxing, and adventurous. Imagine yourself lounging around after a long day at the beach, sipping on this refreshing smoothie and thinking of the sunny days to come. Total Call Me By Your Name vibes… or maybe that’s my own wistfulness of an Italian adventure. Nonetheless, you can have this very feeling in your own backyard!

What you’ll need:

2 cups of strawberries
2 cups of pineapple
1 cup of peaches
1 cup of sliced mangoes
1/2 cup of almond milk
2 spoons of coconut yogurt
Handful of ice*

*If fruit is frozen, skip the ice.