While I've never been a huge fan of soda, I grew up drinking tons of fruit juice: Strawberry Kiwi Lemonade, Fruit Punch, and Orange Juice were my absolute favorites. Like many people, I figured it was healthy because it was made from fruit, right? Wrong! Most juices have never seen a real fruit in their lives. In fact, if you turn that bottle around you'll see a laundry list of ingredients- most of which are just sugar disguised as something else. As I started to commit to health and fitness, I paid more attention to what I put in my body. Juice was out! Why drink your calories when it's much more fun to eat them?
Typically, I stick to unsweetened coffee, tea, and fresh water. When I start to crave those sweet old fruit juices, I work a little magic with fresh fruit and seltzer. Real fruit is full of flavor and the bubbles from the seltzer add little pizzazz. These spritzer recipes are all low-calorie, low-sugar, and totally refreshing.
One of my favorite things to enjoy is a chilled Mimosa or Bellini for brunch. The problem is: when you're watching your weight, alcohol is a big no-no. For a similar taste with a fraction of the calories, try this.Fill your glass half way with a low-sugar Orange Juice like Trop 50. Top it off with Vintage Peach Mango Seltzer and garnish with chopped strawberries and orange moons.
There's nothing more refreshing than a cold glass of lemonade, but don't you dare reach for the powdered "just add water" varieties. Instead, juice 1/2 lemon over ice. Make a simple syrup with 1 packet of Stevia and 1 oz of warm water, then poor that in too. Finally, top it off with Vintage Blueberry Seltzer and garnish with a lemon wedge and fresh blueberries. Perfect for a hot summer day!
Smoothies are great for a post-workout pick-me-up, but they can be very caloric if you're not careful. Unless you're a body builder, you probably don't need an influx of nutrients to keep you going. Instead, make this simple smoothie that will satisfy your sweet tooth, provide you with healthy carbohydrates, and keep you hydrated. Pour 1/2 cup of ice and 1/2 cup of frozen berries and pineapple into a blender with 1 cup of Vintage Pineapple Seltzer. Blend on high until smooth. Garnish with fresh berries and pineapple for a delicious treat.
This post was brought to you by Vintage Seltzer. I received compensation for this post, yet all recipes and opinions are my own.
