Believe it or not, “superfood” cocktails are becoming a huge trend. While appletinis are delicious, they’re also loaded with tons of extra sugar and empty calories. The good news: you don’t have to sacrifice taste to get a healthier option. Infusing your favorite classic cocktails with a heavy dose of antioxidants tonight might just leave you with better hair, skin and nails tomorrow morning. So the next time you’re planning a night in, stop by the produce section and whip up one of these multi-tasking cocktails.
1. Berry Sangria
Berries are full of antioxidants that are great for your skin, and just one serving of this yummy sangria packs a serious punch of vitamin C. This is a drink that’ll make you feel like you’re spring breaking on the beaches of Spain.
Recipe from Eating Well
Ingredients:
- 1 750-mL bottle Vinho Verde
- 1 cup Sauternes or ice wine
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1 cup sliced strawberries
- 1 star fruit, sliced
- 1 cup chilled plain seltzer
- Ice
Directions:
- Combine wine, Sauternes, blueberries, strawberries and star fruit in a large pitcher.
- Refrigerate until cold, about four hours.
- Just before serving, stir in seltzer.
- Serve over ice.
2. Pomegranate Martini
If there’s one food you should add to your diet right now (in martini form or not) it’s pomegranate. This tart and sweet fruit is one of the most nutrient dense foods out there. It has powerful antioxidants that have proven to boost your immune system and keep your heart healthy. This martini recipe also claims to be one of Oprah’s favorites, so if it’s good enough for her, it’s good enough for us.
Recipe from Oprah.com
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups pomegranate juice
- 2 ounces lemon vodka or white tequila
- 1 ounce Cointreau liquor
- Cup of ice
- Splash of sparkling water (optional)
- Squeeze of lemon (optional)
Directions:
- Shake ingredients in a shaker.
- Put in chilled martini glasses.
- Put pomegranate fruit into glass as garnish.
3. Skinny Raspberry Acai Mint Spritzer
Acai is still one of the most popular superfoods, and for good reason. This little Brazilian berry is loaded with health benefits. It promotes heart health, gives you great skin and can help prevent cancer. Need we say more? If that isn’t enough, this recipe also includes raspberries—another powerful fruit in the berry family. Raspberries give another boost of vitamins and a lot of fiber.
Recipe from This Gal Cooks
Ingredients:
- 3 cups Trop50 Raspberry Acai
- 1 cup club soda
- 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, torn
- Ice
- 3-4 oz rum
- Lemon slices for garnish
Directions:
- In a large pitcher, combine the club soda, juice and mint. Mix well.
- Add ice cubes to four 10oz glasses.
- Add about 1 oz of rum to each glass, or your desired amount.
- Add the juice mixture. Mix well.
- Garnish each glass with a slice of lemon.
4. Blueberry Mojito
Blueberries are full of antioxidants that give you glowing skin and prevent aging. They’ve also got tons of other vitamins and minerals (like vitamin A, zinc, selenium and iron) that are hard to get from Pop-Tarts and Chipotle, so they’ll help balance out any diet.
Recipe from The Novice Chef Blog
Ingredients:
- 1 cup fresh blueberries, plus extra for garnish
- 4 oz white rum
- 10 fresh mint leaves
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- Juice of 2 limes
- 6 oz club soda
- Ice
Directions:
- In a food processor or blender, puree blueberries until smooth. Set aside.
- Add mint leaves and sugar to a cocktail shaker. Use a muddler (or the end of a wooden spoon) to muddle the mint and sugar.
- Add the lime juice, rum and pureed blueberries: shake vigorously.
- Pour ice and club soda into two tall glasses and then pour in rum mixture. Gently stir.
- Garnish with a lime wedge, extra blueberries and a sprig of mint. Serve immediately.
5. Grapefruit Cucumber Cocktail
Cucumber is full of health benefits. This super vegetable is great for keeping you hydrated, which you’ll need if you drink a few too many. Besides that, it’s a good source of potassium, magnesium and fiber. The grapefruit also helps to boost your metabolism and adds some vitamin C.
Recipe from Joy The Baker
Ingredients:
- Lots of ice
- 2-4 oz gin, depending on how strong you’d like your cocktail
- 1 cup fresh pink grapefruit juice
- 1 cup ginger ale soda
- Fresh grapefruit wedges
- Fresh cucumber slices
Directions:
- Divide ice between two tall drinking glasses.
- Add gin: as much as you’d like depending on how strong you’d like your drink.
- Divide the grapefruit juice between the two glasses.
- Top with ginger ale.
- Garnish with grapefruit wedges and cucumber slices.
6. Fresh Mango Margarita
If you want gorgeous, glowing skin in time for spring and summer, you’ll want to make a batch of these margaritas right away. Mangoes are one of the best fruits for your skin. They can reduce dark spots and acne and leave your skin with an overall glow. They’re high in Beta carotene and vitamin A that all help revive your complexion.
Recipe from Baker by Nature
Ingredients:
- 2 cups fresh mango
- 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
- 1 cup tequila
- 1/4 cup triple sec
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 cups ice (hearty cups!)
Directions:
- Place all of the ingredients in the body of a blender and pulse until smooth.
- Pour into glasses and drink at once.
- Feel free to taste after blending and add sugar/ice/liquor to adjust the taste to your liking.
7. Kale Martini
If whipping up a green smoothie every morning just isn’t your thing, here’s another way to get your daily dose of kale. The leafy green vegetable is high is vitamins A and K, which both help to build strong bones and teeth. It’s detoxing, anti-inflammatory and believed to prevent cancer.
Recipe from Celiac Chicks
Ingredients:
- 2 cups spinach
- 2 cups cucumber
- 1 head of celery
- 1/2 inch or teaspoon ginger root
- 1 bunch parsley
- 2 apples
- Juice of 1 lime
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 2.5 oz vodka
- 2 cups of kale
Directions:
- Combine all ingredients in a blender.
- Strain out the juice.
- Pour into glasses and serve.
It’s okay if you’re not a fan of kale salads or fresh pressed juices—these cocktail recipes prove that there’s plenty of ways to get your five servings a day. All you need is a little creativity and a well stocked bar cart!