Pineapple Mango Vitamin C Booster Smoothie – this smoothie will help you work in extra vitamins, minerals, fiber, and all the goodness that plants can offer, including an extra boost of Vitamin C to help combat colds and flu, sickness, and germs.
After I’ve run 5 miles or finished the most grueling yoga class, and I’m hot, tired, and on empty, smoothies go down so easily.
Especially the kind that taste like a tropical vacation.
I’m blessed to live in San Diego, and it’s been in the mid-70s the past few days during the middle of the day. It still gets cold enough at night that we have to turn the heat on, but for a few glorious hours in the middle of the day, it’s picture-perfect. That’s when I run or do yoga and after a hard workout, I don’t like heavy things but need something to recharge.
This sweet, creamy, citrusy, vegan, Vitamin C-packed smoothie is so refreshing and hits the spot.
I try to incorporate as much Vitamin C into my diet as possible. It’s an easy thing to do and something that helps prevent sickness, and I’ll take all the prevention I can get. With a 6 year old who’s constantly bringing home every other kid’s cooties, germs, sniffles and sneezes, any little bit of immune-boosting powers is welcome. Citrus fruits like pineapple or orange-colored fruit in general, such as mango, are high in Vitamin C.
I love both pineapple and mango and have a dozen other smoothie recipes that use one or the other, but it’s a favorite combination I never tire of. I always keep frozen pineapple and frozen mango chunks on hand, perfect for blending into smoothies. You don’t need to add ice if you use frozen fruit, preventing a watered-down drink.
A smoothie just isn’t a smoothie without a banana included for creaminess and they’re a huge source of potassium. If you’re active, making sure you’re getting enough potassium helps to prevent leg cramps and muscle cramps in general. Other good potassium sources include skin-on baked potatoes, prunes, spinach, and lima beans. Given those choices, bananas sound better and better.
I peel over-ripe bananas, break them into chunks, and keep them in a big Ziplock in my freezer, making it easy to toss a few chunks into smoothies. When blended, they add plant-based creaminess that’s unparalleled to anything else. Bananas are naturally sweet, inexpensive, and always available.
Blend together the fruits, milk, sweetener, splash of vanilla, and blend until smooth and creamy. I like to make this smoothie with coconut milk; it’s plant-based, healthy, and I have a coconut obsession. Use almond, soy, or your favorite milk. If you’d like to splurge, a scoop of vanilla frozen yogurt makes it taste like dessert-in-a-cup.
Sweeten it using granulated sugar, agave, honey, stevia, a couple Medjool dates, or your favorite sweetener. Some people don’t sweeten fruit-based smoothies because the pineapple, mango, and banana are already sweet, but it depends on your palette and how sweet the fruit was when it was frozen. Sometimes pineapple and mango were frozen in a slightly under-ripe state and are a bit too tart to enjoy. I like my Lemon Bars extra tart, but not my smoothies.
Since I have to wash my blender anyway, I make double the amount I need. I fill freezer-safe platstic cups with the extra portions, freeze them, and when I’m ready for a smoothie, just nuke the cup for a minute. It saves time not having to remake and then rewash my blender. And having a fruity, creamy, healthy, vegan beverage ready and easily grab-able, prevents me from reaching for cookies, which are equally grab-able.
I’ve read that if you want to eat healthier, simply having fresh veggies or fruit cut up and in containers in your fridge, totally ready to snack on, makes it easier to snack on the good stuff. It’s so easy to grab a bag of chips or a handful of jelly beans when you’re hungry and your willpower is nil if you’re not prepared with your snacks. A little prep work saves time and helps you stay on track. And that’s my approach with smoothies waiting in the freezer.
The pineapple flavor dominates, reminding me a bit of a virgin pina colada. Between the mango, banana, and coconut milk, it’s a healthy, frothy, creamy, vegan treat. I’ll drink to that.
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Pineapple Mango Vitamin C Booster Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 cup frozen pineapple chunks
- 1 cup frozen mango chunks
- 1 medium ripe banana, peeled and frozen in chunks
- 1 cup milk, regular, almond, soy, coconut, etc.
- 1 teaspoon+ vanilla extract
- sweetener, to taste (sugar, agave, stevia, honey, maple syrup, dates, etc.)
- optional suggestions, see below
Instructions
- All ingredients and amounts are to taste. Use seasonal fruits or vary the quantities of fruits, to taste. I used bagged, frozen fruit from Trader Joe's. Using frozen is preferred to fresh since smoothie is automatically kept cold, without adding ice which waters it down.
- Place all ingredients in the canister of a Vita-Mix or blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Serve immediately. Pour extra into a freezer-safe cup and freeze for up to 1 month, thawing before serving (or microwaving for about 30 seconds); double or triple the recipe to create planned leftovers - perfect to grab for busy morning breakfasts or as easy snacks.
- Optionally, consider adding a scoop of protein powder or dollop of yogurt for extra protein; or blending with juice to increase the amount of Vitamin C; add coconut flakes, nuts, seeds, dried fruits, or your favorite smoothie add-ins' to either the blender canister before blending or garnish smoothie with them after blending.
- Recipe is vegan (use vegan milk, avoid honey), gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free as written. Take care any ingredients used are suitable for your dietary needs.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Do you have a favorite healthy smoothie recipe?
What do you do or make that keeps you centered, on track, and healthy? Any tips to share?
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Looks so delicious! Perfect post-yoga treat for sure!
Pineapples and mangoes are my favorite fruits, been looking for a smoothie recipe and yours looks really good. Thanks for sharing!
It’s been so gorgeous in LA this week too, even hot. This smoothie looks perfect right about now!
But it gets COLD at night. People think we’re babies here in SoCal but after growing up in MN, I do know what cold is like and…it’s cold. At least here in S.D.!
I used to make smoothies all the time but have gotten out of the habit… but this is making me crave one! Love pineapple and mango – would definitely brighten up the dreary days we’ve been having here in DC!
I am into anything with a vitamin C kick these days. Cold be gone! Plus mango anything wins in my books! Can’t wait to try this :)
You have a beautiful blog Averie! And this smoothie sounds so refreshing, I must have one. :)
Thanks for the nice compliment and for stopping by!
This just made me all kinds of jealous. Trader Joes, warm weather, tropical vacations, sweaty yoga…. I kind of hate you right now. ;)
It is snowing right now and COLD. And there’s no TJs anywhere close. But, did I tell you I’ve been getting back into yoga? I think its the home gym thing – I’ve been doing a mix of yoga and biking with light weights every now and then. I’m no good at the yoga and I can only do it for 20 min at the longest before I get bored and my brain is going to the next thing, but I held crow yesterday for a full minute. My arms are SORE.
Errr….nice looking smoothie, by the way.
Love this! I’m always in need of a smoothie after my spin class!
Mmm…love a smoothie that tastes like a tropical vacation! Averie, I love how you combined pineapple, mango and banana and provided choices for the milk and sweetening…so peeps can make it their own. It is such a thoughtful or mindful way to write a healthy recipe. I’ve missed you, girl…have been so busy in the kitchen recipe testing lately…and, I’m behind in posts! Oh!! Thought of you when I saw Oreo Cookie Butter, of ALL things! Looks like yummy tar, LOL! I will send you a tweet…just in case you missed it at Pinterest. Thanks for another greate recipe and have a most-excellent weekend! xoxo
It sure does look like tar! haha!
I need to get back to the gym asap.
This lack of sun is killing me.
We’ve had nothing but rain or snow for the last few weeks, with about 2 days of sun.
And the weather just said another week of clouds.
Ohhh New England winters are rough, I need smoothies! lol
How do you make these wonderful looking smoothies without banana??
Not sure if you read the recipe or post, but there IS banana in the smoothie. It’s virtually impossible to make a vegan smoothie that creamy and fluffy looking and tasting without banana.
I did read the post and was hoping that you’d have a suggestion for a banana-free option, as I’m allergic. :(
Just keep it out then. Smoothies are so flexible…you could add a scoop of yogurt, protein powder, another fruit you love, milk/nut milk, just find things you love and add them and play around to find your perfect recipe!
I usually buy premade smoothies…which I know are nothing like the real deal. All the information you provided just convinced me to start making my own. And you’re so right about the health benefits of bananas! When I was taking ballet classes, long ago, I would get terrible spams in the arches of my feet. They were so painful I’d have to wait several seconds for the muscle to release. The doctor told me that my body was lacking potassium. After incorporating bananas into my daily diet, the spams disappeared. Bananas are definitely not my favorite fruit, but they do work miracles. I’m sure I would love them in a homemade smoothie! :)
Ok you make your own cinnamon rolls, pie crusts, etc and can cook like a rock star (better than most anyone I know) but you’re buying premade smoothies? Valerie I want to slap you silly :) In the best way, of course. haha! I don’t actually love-love bananas to eat plain. I cook/bake/blend them tons but on their own, meh, whatever. I get plantar fascitis, a foot thing basically, from running and just have always been prone to it, even if I don’t run. It just happens but potassium helps it in general. And I can totally see you as an amazing ballerina!! :)
Thanks for the recipe! Smoothies are one of those things that I love but can never get the proportions right on my own (I end up with super liquid mess. tasty, but not worth the effort)
The key is to use fruit that’s already frozen. That way you don’t have to add ice which waters it down. And use less liquid than you think, in general. You can always add more if it’s too thick and your blender is struggling, but once added, you can’t un-do!
Mango smoothies are my fave, I love how creamy they are!
I love a good smoothie after a hard workout! (or any time really) This looks like a really good one, it’s a shame I’m allergic to pineapple :(