Watermelon Cooler – Post-workout Refresher

Today is National Watermelon Day! I don’t know how these declarations are created, but it’s kind of fun to give special attention and a little hoopla to a refreshing summer fruit!

Watermelon and the summer season go hand in hand, don’t you think? I remember summer after summer buying big ‘ole watermelons, slicing it into triangle shaped pieces, and sending my kids and their friends outside with a chunk so that the juicy fruit that dripped down their hands and arms would end up on the grass instead of our couch!

Now that my kids are big munchkins, and they aren’t running in and out of the house anymore with drippy juice, it’s time to update my watermelon use and enjoy it in a beverage!

I picked up a seedless watermelon that I fully intended to make some watermelon margaritas with, but I never got around to it (until last night!). That recipe is oh so tasty, and had I known of this concoction long ago, I would have sent some kids home and with the extra watermelon made mommy margaritas during those summers!

Not to be a tease, but today my drink is a refreshing post workout drink! I’ve been putting a lot of miles on my running shoes while training for the San Francisco Women’s Nike Marathon. After a 14 mile run last weekend, I replenished my electrolytes and potassium with this ice cold refreshing drink!

Let’s get right to the recipe.
Watermelon Cooler

• 1 cup watermelon, cut in chunks
• 1/2 banana
• 1/2 cup coconut water
• juice of 1/2 lemon (approximately 2 tablespoons)
• 3 mint leaves
• 2-3 cubes of ice (for slushy or omit for smoothie)

Combine all ingredients in a blender, adding a little more coconut water if necessary to blend. Freeze your watermelon like I did for a quick slushy or add ice cubes for the same consistency.

Did you know watermelons are 92% water? Perfect fruit to help cool down and recharge those lost nutrients after a workout!

Check out the watermelon carvings here.

Go get a watermelon. You’ll want to have it all chopped up and ready to make this cooler or the margarita I will be sharing with you in my next post!

Cheers,
~Sandra