This easy smoothie is filled with refreshing watermelon, mint, and lemon balm, plus banana and Greek yogurt for protein and creaminess. The creaminess of the bananas and the sweetness of the watermelon balance each other nicely. In just about five minutes, you can have a delicious, healthy, and revitalizing summer drink for two.
I tend to go in phases, where I forget about smoothies for awhile, and then I am suddenly reminded of how great they are. They don’t take long at all to make, and they are so much more interesting and healthy than a glass of juice. The herbs in our garden are growing like crazy, and mint and lemon balm are right outside my door, waiting to be picked. Plus, they are really good in smoothies. (And iced tea!) You can substitute any of the ingredients in this smoothie–smoothies are very flexible. But this combination works well for me, and I feel very refreshed this morning after drinking it.
Smoothies especially hit the spot for me when I have been too busy to eat as well as I would like to, and I want a quick infusion of foods from the plant kingdom. Fresh herbs are not a completely necessary ingredient, yet they add so much–not only their vitamins, antioxidants, and healing properties, but also their distinctive flavors. Just the process of picking, washing, and chopping herbs is a pleasure for me, because their scent is so naturally wonderful, that I am brought into the present moment when I breathe in that mint and lemony aroma.
I can’t believe how beautiful the weather has been the past couple of days. We had so much rain earlier in the spring that everything outside is so lush and fresh! The sun is warm and bright, and the temperature has been so comfortable–warm, but not too hot. When I turned our calendar over to the June page yesterday, on it was this quote: “Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations.” ~Melchor Lim
This quote came at a great time, and it is so true. Life lessons and teachable moments abound this week. I hope you all have a great weekend, and I hope that if your roads are difficult, they lead you to beautiful destinations. One of my destinations for this post is Angie’s virtual potluck, Fiesta Friday! 
Banana Watermelon Refresher
Ingredients:
- 2 bananas, sliced
- 1 cup of watermelon, peeled and chopped
- a handful of fresh mint leaves, washed, stems removed, and coarsely chopped
- a handful of lemon balm leaves, washed, stems removed, and coarsely chopped
- 1 cup of yogurt (I used Greek yogurt, but any type of yogurt will do)
- 1/2 cup of orange juice
- 2 ice cubes
- honey to taste, if you need more sweetness
Directions:
Place all the ingredients in a blender. Puree until smooth. Pour into a glass or glasses. Garnish with fresh mint or lemon balm, if desired. Enjoy!
This is a must try! I haven’t tried bananas with watermelon. Mmm, sounds so good!? Thanks for sharing and happy Fiesta Friday!
Thank you so much, Jhuls! Happy Fiesta Friday to you too!
Sounds like you and i have had similar life lessons and difficult weeks. I really love that quote and I know that it’s true. I’ve been big into smoothies lately, but I haven’t tried watermelon in one yet! This looks so refreshing and perfect for warm weather, which we still haven’t gotten yet. I too have a special place in my heart for herbs. They are so fragrant and have so many undiscovered powers. They’re like a little magical kingdom. Have a great week.
Thanks, Amanda! Yes, herbs are so fragrant and full of ancient wisdom! (Wisdom I think we have lost and need to relearn). Smoothies are great for when I am stressed and need something quick and rejuvenating. Sometimes the most difficult situations/people are our greatest teachers and where the greatest potential for growth is….Let’s hope! 🙂 Good luck with everything and enjoy all the great fruits and vegetables coming into their prime soon! 🙂
I really need to start adding herbs in my smoothie. I have both lemon balm and mint in abundance! Anything with sage? They’re growing like gangbusters in my backyard. But probably too strong in smoothies ??
Yes, I have sage growing like crazy too(!), but have never tried it in a smoothie. I can’t picture it in a smoothie, but who knows! 🙂
I feel like most people don’t use watermelon in smoothies enough and I don’t see why! This is a great recipe for the heatwave we’re having. Thanks!!
Thank you, Mary Frances! We are having quite a heatwave where I live too! I agree–watermelon is very refreshing in smoothies!