Have summer and hot af/muggy/gross weather. Need cool, refreshing drinks and meals because on these hot summer days when you’re either like me and spending nearly all day at the pool, sweating like crazy because your gym doesn’t have AC, or are just trying to enjoy some time outside, you need to stay hydrated to keep feeling your best. And let’s be honest…water, just plain water, gets a little boring sometimes. Solution: flavored water! But not just any flavored water. Because a lot of the flavored waters out there use sketchy ingredients, and you have no idea where their “natural flavors” come from (spoiler alert: most likely a chemical plant). Enter: (my new obsession) hint: drink water, not sugar. Oh, and this Pineapple, Raspberry and Banana hint smoothie. Because in summer, smoothies are liiiife.

p.s. SCROLL DOWN for a giveaway for a FREE 9-month supply {9 cases} of hint water!!

So what’s the deal with hint, you ask? It’s an unsweetened, flavored water with no sugar, sweeteners, added junk, preservatives, chemicals (it’s also GMO free)…and because it’s just water, no calories. And the original unflavored water I’m using here also has no caffeine, if you’re wondering! There’s another one with a caffeine kick (it’s literally called Caffeine Kick), if you’re looking for that! Hint is naturally flavored with just the essences from fruits like blackberry, pineapple, peach, and many more. My brother and I joke around that to get the flavors from the fruit into the water, they just wave the peaches over top and the flavors magically sprinkle in. Ummm probably not so much. But for real…I was a little skeptical. What are these “natural flavors”, and where do they come from? According to hint’s website…

“everything we use in hint water comes from plants, is 100% natural and is obtained using age-old culinary techniques. we don’t use artificial ingredients or processing aids, preservatives, sweeteners, gluten, animal products or MSG. ingredients are listed as “other natural flavors” when they are flavors that are not part of the flavor name. for example, in order to get the desired flavor profile, pomegranate may contain citrus essences from oranges in addition to pomegranate essence. in that case, orange essence would be considered an “other natural flavor.”

Now THAT, I can deal with. Plus, a sweet BONUS – For all my Whole30 peeps, or anyone doing a no-sugar nutrition challenge: hint is also a Whole30 approved partner – which means you know it’s legit, real, and dang tasty. My friends at Whole30 also published a post about how to pair some Whole30-friendly small plates with hint water! Like the cucumber hint with prosciutto-wrapped cantaloupe? Umm count me in pleaseandthankyou.

Drink it straight? Amazing. Use it as the liquid in a smoothie instead of almond or coconut milk to make a hint smoothie? UUMMM freaking delicious. It adds a hint (surprise, surprise!) of the fruity flavor you’re using, without adding any extra sugar or too much of an overwhelming flavor.

Served chilled? Refreshing AF. I like to pour mine in a huge glass of ice and just sip on it. Do not recommend drinking it from a room temperature/lukewarm/sitting out in the sun for an hour or two bottle, as the flavors won’t come through as well. You want the BEST hint experience possible? Drink that baby chilled. Ya welcome. Or use it in a smoothie, like the recipe here – duh!

Stay thirsty, my friends! But not really. If you’re parched, you’re def dehydrated. Get some (delicious) liquid in you. Duh. Like at LEAST half your weight in lbs – in oz of water per day. So say you weigh 150 lbs, you should be drinking at least 75 oz/water daily!) Dooo it.

Pineapple, Raspberry & Banana Hint Smoothie

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Total time

5 mins

 

Dana: Real Food with Dana

Serves: 1 serving

Ingredients

• 8 oz hint water, pineapple flavor
• 1 banana (bonus points if it’s frozen!)
• ½ cup frozen raspberries
• ¼ cup cubed pineapple
• 1 Tbsp sunbutter, cashew butter or coconut butter
• ⅛ tsp sea salt
• Optional: 1 scoop collagen or your favorite vanilla protein powder

For serving:

• Fresh raspberries
• Cocoa nibs
• Shredded coconut

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and let ‘er rip! If you want to make a smoothie bowl, use only 4 oz of hint (or liquid of choice), and then add more as needed to thin out. Perfect for a post-workout snack or meal!

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This post is sponsored by my friends at hint! All thoughts and ideas are my own *snape voice* ooobviously.  Grab some at Target, Whole Foods, Stop & Shop, Harris Teeter, and many more! Check out the store locator to find some near you, or just grab it on amazon. Because free shipping duuuh. 

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