Water is always my first drink of choice to stay hydrated, but there are the times when you just feel like something a little different. There are also those times when you are out socialising and you want to take something nice to drink that isn’t alcohol. So many drinks are packed with sugar, but something that is refreshing, tasty and much lower in sugar than fruit juice is coconut water. It contains about half the sugar of juice, and also provides some potassium. It makes the perfect base for mocktails, and adds a lovely flavour to nourishing green smoothies.
Recently I was sent some CoAqua coconut water to try out and it is really delicious. Their coconut water is from Vietnam, taken from young coconuts at 6 months and you can actually taste the difference between this and other brands (I didn’t believe it would taste different, but it does!). It tastes really fresh and has an amazing, pure coconut taste that I’ve been enjoying. I like that it also comes in recyclable bottles and nice slimline cans which are the perfect measure for making drinks and smoothies. You can find this brand at New World Supermarkets and Farro Fresh.
I’ve been experimenting with some new drinks and today I’m sharing with you a couple of my favourite simple coconut water based drinks – firstly the best ever tropical green smoothie and some ‘mocktail’ type drinks which are great for summer entertaining or a refreshing drink on a warm evening.
I’m a bit particular when it comes to green smoothies – if I’m going to be drinking my greens, I also want them to be tasting good too. I’ve had some horrible green smoothie combinations, but this smoothie is a goodie! It’s a yummy way to boost your fruit and vegetable intake for the day.
Tropical Green Smoothie
Since being on maternity leave, I’ve been enjoying this regularly as an afternoon drink as it’s refreshing, tasty and hydrating plus it’s an easy way to get an extra serve of fruit and vegetables in my diet.
The pineapple and coconut water are all that are needed to give this a yummy flavour, the vegetables added don’t have a strong flavour and the avocado adds a delicious creaminess.
Ingredients:
Approximately 1 cup fresh pineapple chunks
1 handful of ice cubes
¼ cucumber
4-5 cos lettuce leaves
2 florets of broccoli
1 can CoAqua coconut water
¼ small avocado
½ tablespoon chia seeds
Juice from ½ a lemon
Optional: 1 sprig of mint
To make: simply place all the ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth.
Makes 1 large glass
Coconut water mocktails
The CoAqua drinks taste great by themselves, but they’re also delicious blended with some fresh fruit to create fruity ‘mocktails’. My favourite is the cranberry and mango – frozen cranberries taste amazing and are also a source of Vitamin C and high in antioxidants. These are the perfect Friday night drink to relax with and are super simple to make too. Here’s the recipes.
- Lemon, lime and passionfruit
Juice from ½ lemon
Juice from 1 lime
Passionfruit pulp (You can buy this frozen and I scoop about 3 teaspoons in)
1 can of CoAqua coconut water
1 handful of ice cubes
- Cranberry and mango
½ cup frozen cranberries
½ cup frozen mango pieces
1 can of CoAqua coconut water
- Coconut and pineapple
1/3 cup chopped pineapple pieces
2-3 teaspoons coconut milk
1 handful of ice cubes
1 can of CoAqua coconut water
To create the drinks, simply blend together ingredients in a blender until smooth. Garnish with fresh fruit and herbs.
These all make one serve, but you can double, triple the recipe etc as required if you have guests.
Enjoy.
WIN! WIN! WIN!
I’m giving away a case of the new slimline CoAqua cans. That’s 24 cans so you can try CoAqua and whip up some of these recipes for yourself.
To be into win, comment below with what recipe you think you’d try out.
Winner will be drawn November 25th and notified via email. Their name will also be published on this post. Open to NZ entries only.
This post was made possible thanks to CoAqua.
I would try all 3 fruity smoothies, they sound so delicious. the very first one would be Mango and Cranberry as I have frozen mango in my freezer.
Coconut and pineapple screams ‘Summer’ for me, so definitely keen to try this one out! 🙂
Lemon, Lime and Passionfruit would have to be a must try. Fresh and tangy. Mike
Your green smoothie recipe sounds great – I’m keen to try it!
Lemon, lime and passionfruit would be my choice!
Pineapple coconut spuds great to me
Lemon lime and passion fruit sounds delish!
Cranberry and Mango sounds like a great mocktail creation to me!
Lemon lime and passion fruit sounds delicious!
Yum definitely the green smoothie! Such a good way to get more goodness in during the day!
Lemon, Lime and Passionfruit. My daughter and I would both love to try. So refreshing.
CoAqua is actually amazing right, I wasn’t expecting it to taste different either but I really loved it! Love your mocktail ideas too!
Cranberry and mango sounds a great combo to try.
Cranberry and mango sounds like me
Mmmm coconut and pineapple please ????
!!!!**
Cranberry and mango for me for sure, simple and refreshing. Makes me feel like making a smoothie now..
Lemon, lime and passion fruit 100%! Sounds so refreshing.
Coconut and pineapple sounds great
Lemon, lime and passionfruit!!!
Cranberry mango or lemon lime without the passion fruit
Lemon lime and passionfruit, but they all look good 🙂
All of them sounds really good! The pineapple and coconut or cranberry mango are two high on my list! Yumm ^_^
Cranberry and mango sounds divine! I’d love to try it out 🙂
Coconut and Pineapple sounds delish perfect summer drink 🙂
Coconut & pineapple cause I love pineapple.
I would try cranberry and mango.
Omg these are fantastic!
The Coconut and pineapple sounds perfect!!!
I’m really keen to try the tropical green smoothie, I love avocado in smoothies but haven’t yet tried broccoli.
Lime, lemon & passionfriut!
I’m partial to lemon, lime & bitters – so I’d have to say I’d love to try Lemon Lime & Passionfruit thanks ????
Coconut and pineapple – the thought of it is making my mouth water….yum!!!
Coconut and pineapple! Will be a reminder of faraway island holidays!
Coconut and pineapple. Would also do cucumber and mint heaven in a glass
I would love to try cranberry and mango
The lemon lime and passionfruit sounds so good!!!!
Lemon, lime and passionfruit
Lemon Lime and Passionfruit sounds delish!
cranberry and mango sounds awesome!!!
I am so trying the Coconut and Pineapple nomnomnomnom
Yum coconut and pineapple sounds great to me!
Lemon, lime and passionfruit but really I want to try them all!!! Yumo
Coconut & pineapple for sure! Minimum ingredients, maximum taste
Cocount and pineapple sounds delicious to try. Yum!
Coconut and pineapple sounds perfection
I’d love to try cranberry and mango – 2 of my favourite fruits together which I’d never thought to do before!
They all sound great but i would try the pineapple and coconut one first ????
Coconut and pineapple sounds yummy!!
Tropical green smoothie sounds good.
Cranberry and manga sounds pretty good ????
I’m going to try them all!!!!
Lemon lime and passionfruit mmmm 3 of my faves
Gosh it’s hard to choose one as they all sound fab. Maybe the pineapple one first …. But seriously I’m trying them all.
Lemon, lime and passionfruit sounds delicious yum yum!
I would love to try the tropical green smoothie!
I would love to try out your coconut and pineapple! It sounds so refreshing for a hot day!
I would love to try the Lemon, Lime & Passionfruit! Such a great combination of flavours! Bring on summer 😀
Definitely coconut and pineapple one,love everything with coconut
they all sound pretty amazing! I’ll try the cranberry mango one, that’s a bit different!
Tropical green smoothie
Coconut and pineapple
definitely the lemon, lime and passionfruit mockail!! sounds super refreshing and beautiful
I would love to try Lemon, lime and passion fruit ???? Yummy!
Lemon lime and passionfruit! ????
Lemon lime and passionfruit sounds amazing. That would be so refreshing especially after exercise.
Actually I think I changed my mind. Coconut and pineapple! That takes me back to island drinks by the water.
I really would like to try the coconut and pineapple !
Lemon lime passionfruit sounds incredible and so refreshing.. Perfect for summer!! 🙂
ohhh they all look so yummy!! would be amazing for me and my baby! ( breastfeeding ) haha???? ohhh but ild get so addicted to cranberrie and mango!! yum! ??
I make similar recipes all the time for my smoothies/drinks but have never used CoAqua before. I’d love to try the coconut and pineapple however!
Coconut & pineapple, yum!!
I would definitely make the lemon, lime and passion fruit. It sounds so refreshing!
Lemon, lime and passionfruit
They all looks so good! But I think first up I would try the cranberry and mango, yummmmmmm… but of course I would try all of them!
I would love to try them all pleaes
I’m going to try the green smoothie like the idea of this as alternative to my usual cup of tea mid afternoon. Great to get some non alcholic drink suggestions that are lower I’m sugar too.
How good do these look especially with warmer months coming soon!! I am so all over the cranberry and mango yumm!! xx
Lemon Lime and passion fruit
Lemon lime and passionfruit
Yum they all sound good but the coconut & pineapple would definitely be my go to! ????
Lemon, lime and passionfruit sounds real yummy that one first
I love that coconut / pineapple combo so would live to try that one out but they all sound delish.
Oh lemon lime & passionfruit sounds yum!
Tropical green sounds like a great meal in a glass! And to just chill out and be refreshed I am super keen to try thr mango and cranberry!!! 😀
The tropical green smoothie and the lemon, lime and passion fruit cocktail sound sooo good! Would be so refreshing in summer
Cranberry and Mango <3
Lemon, lime and passionfruit sounds amazing. Im defintely gonna make that for my mum and I
Omg all sound so yummy
But I drink cranberry juice for infections
So would love to try cranberry and mango please
Cranberry and mango sounds really good
Lemon lime passionfruit sounds delish
Lemon lime and passion fruit sounds amazing, if I won I think I’d serve these up as the non alcoholic option at our upcoming beach wedding ???? ?
Tropical green! Yummy! ????
Coconut and pineapple for me, it sounds so tropical and yummy….
Definitely the mocktails the coconut and pineapple is speaking to me at a spiritual level haha <3
I’d definitely try out the coconut and pineapple ???? !!! Yum!!! I need to get my extra serves into my pregnancy too!
That wasn’t supposed to have question marks! Haha ???? iPhone autocorrect
I’d definitely give the coconut and pineapple one a go sounds delish!!
Hmm pineapple first I think
Lemon, Lime, and Passionfruit ! Sounds bea u ti ful !!
Lemon, lime and passionfruit for me too xx