My lemon ginger smoothie enlists the powerful properties of fresh lemon, ginger, yogurt, and honey for a healthy breakfast that helps fight anything winter can throw at you, from dry skin to the flu!
my lemon ginger smoothie surprised us all!
Everyone who tasted this during our testing phase was blown away. I made it to jumpstart our systems after the holidays, so I knew it would by hydrating, great for our digestions, and full of immune boosting goodies, but what I wasn’t prepared for was how delicious it is! The yogurt makes it creamy, the lemon juice adds a tart tang, and the zest contributes the most lovely floral essence. The ginger isn’t overwhelming, but oh boy does it give this smoothie a unique flavor.
powerhouse lemon smoothie ingredients
A smoothie doesn’t have to be thick and gloppy or filled with exotic powders and supplements to be healthy. This one is light, refreshing, and supercharged thanks to four simple, real foods. None of these ingredients are a magic bullet, but they are strong components of a healthy diet and their legendary health benefits are being actively studied by the medical community every day.
- YOGURT: amino acids found in protein are essential for T-cell function, which are cells that protect the body against pathogens. Yogurt contains probiotics, or friendly bacteria that helps keep the gut healthy and may boost the immune system. Look for the words ‘probiotics’ or ‘live active cultures’ on the label. (source)
- LEMON: full of Vitamin C and antioxidants, lemon is a powerhouse ingredient. If you can find an organic lemon, a good idea since you’ll be using the zest.
- GINGER: also Vitamin C and antioxidant rich. It helps with digestion, especially when eaten on an empty stomach. It’s being studied for possible antibacterial and antiviral properties. Use fresh ginger, which gives the most benefits. (source)
- HONEY: used as an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antibacterial agent. People commonly use honey orally to treat coughs. Look for raw honey which has the most antioxidants. (source. source.)
how to choose a yogurt for smoothies
Look for yogurts that contain ‘live cultures’ and probiotics. It will say on the container.
Choose yogurt without sweeteners, but if you do want a sweetened yogurt, go with honey or another less processed sweetener like maple syrup.
Should you choose no fat, low fat, or full fat? The research is divided on this, so until there’s more clarity on the subject, I love a full fat yogurt. Low fat or non fat yogurt will work just fine in smoothies, too, so go with your preference and know that they’re all healthy for you.
I chose a ‘skyr’ which is an Icelandic yogurt (actually in Iceland they refer to it as a ‘cheese’.) It’s got extra protein and is super creamy because it’s strained like Greek yogurt. I like it because it’s slightly less tart than regular yogurt.
Bonus points if your yogurt is enriched with Vitamin D for an immune boost.
how to make a healthy lemon ginger smoothie
- Wash your lemon in sudsy water and rinse well.
- Remove the zest (just the yellow part, none of the bitter white pith) in strips, with a vegetable peeler. A serrated peeler works best.
- Peel a knob of ginger and cut into pieces. Note: no need to peel, actually, just my preference.
- Add the rind, ginger, yogurt, lemon juice, honey and a few ice cubes into a blender.
- Blend until smooth.
what we LOVE about this smoothie!
It has a refreshing, bright lemon flavor without being pungent or sour at all (thank you zest!)
It has a nice creamy consistency without being too thick.
The fresh ginger gives it a distinctive flavor that is SUCH a nice change from banana!
It’s super healthy without tasting ‘healthy’.
a path to better hydration
So many health recommendations come back to one thing…hydration! This smoothie will be a delicious part of my overall plan to pay more attention to hydration this year. I’m so bad about drinking plain water, and this is much more my style!
make this lemon smoothie your own
- If you don’t have fresh ginger you can use 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger, turmeric, cardamom, or vanilla extract.
- Don’t love ginger? Leave it out or substitute fresh mint or basil leaves.
- Add a spoonful of raw oats, chia seeds, or flax seeds.
- Substitute navel orange for the lemon (you may not want all of the rind, try half.)
- Add a frozen avocado.
- Use non dairy yogurt of your choice.
- For low carb and keto go with full fat yogurt and use the low carb sweetener of your choice.
more healthy sips
- Why I Start Every Day With Lemon Water
- Sweet Moroccan Mint Tea (Hot or Iced)
- Cranberry Cleanse Smoothie
- Healing Conifer Tea ~ a natural flu fighter!
- Pomegranate Mulled Cider ~ and giving up alcohol
- Healing Turmeric Tea recipe
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Lemon Ginger Smoothie
Equipment
- blender
Ingredients
- 1 cup plain yogurt of your choice
- zest of 1 lemon
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh ginger
- 1 Tbsp honey
- a few ice cubes
Instructions
- Put all the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. You may want to pulse your machine a few times to make sure the ice gets pulverized.
- Enjoy immediately!
Nutrition
This is a great drink. I did add some buttermilk to it since my Cabot’s yogurt is very thick. Yummy!
Hi!
It doesn’t say how much ice. I’m looking forward to trying this!
Hi Bonnie, thanks for spotting that, it’s just a few ice cubes, enough to give it a little thickness and get it nice and cold.
What a great way to start the year! Lemon is one of my favorite flavors.
I’m right there with you, Happy New Year!
Hi Sue,
Happy New Year! This sounds like such a great way to start the day. I may juice several lemons and freeze individual portions of the zest and juice in ice cube trays to make this a quick fix before work in the morning. Thank you for all the wonderful recipes you provide – I can’t wait to see what you have in store for 2022!
Kelly
I think that’s a great idea Kelly!