Healthy, non-alcoholic drinks for your festivities
Alcohol is a fixture at most parties, but if liquor is off limits during cancer treatment, there are healthy alternatives to help you celebrate any occasion.
These non-alcoholic mocktails contain fewer calories than alcoholic beverages and are full of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is a critical component before, during and after treatment. So toast to a healthier you with these delicious and nutritious mocktails.
Blueberry Mocktail
Made with juice from antioxidant-rich blueberries, this health-conscious mocktail is a great low-guilt option for patients abstaining from alcohol.
1 cup pure blueberry juice
Juice from 2 limes (about a 1/4 cup)
3-4 crushed mint leaves
2 cups crushed ice
Pour all ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth. Garnish with fresh blueberries and a slice of lime.
Minted Honeydew Cooler
With vitamin C, vitamin A, iron and folate, honeydews help you to avoid nutrient deficiencies and stay hydrated.
2 Tbsp fresh mint leaves
1 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
3 cups honeydew melon, cubed
2 Tbsp honey (optional)
1 cup crushed ice
Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth.
Green Tea Mojito
Green tea contains potent antioxidants. The natural chemicals called polyphenols and flavonoids in tea provide its anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic effects.
8 large fresh mint leaves, plus more for serving
1 cup ice
3 ounces green tea (brewed in advance)
1 1/2 ounces (3 tablespoons) freshly squeezed lime juice
3 tablespoons agave nectar
2 ounces club soda
Muddle mint leaves and ice in a cocktail shaker. Add green tea, lime juice and agave into the shaker and shake well. Pour into a glass and top off with club soda. Garnish with a sprig of mint.
Virgin Mary
Tomatoes are a rich source of an antioxidant known as lycopene. Lycopene may help protect against some cancers such as prostate, lung, breast and endometrial.
1 large tomato
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Juice of half lemon
Pinch of black pepper
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco
Celery – garnish
Soak the tomato in boiling water for 15–20 minutes or until the skin of the tomato is soft. Peel off the tomato skin, place in a blender and mix until smooth. Set aside. Next add one teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce to a cocktail glass, along with the juice of half a lemon, a small pinch of black pepper and four to five drops or a 1/4 teaspoon of Tabasco sauce. Fill the cocktail glass with tomato juice and stir the ingredients — add ice and enjoy. If desired, garnish with a celery stalk.
