Tropical Fruit Power Smoothie

There’s a little history behind today’s Tropical Fruit Power Smoothie. So settle in, Spiriteds. Because you know I can’t tell a short story.

Every day for six years Mom put a tropical punch or fruit punch juice box in my lunchbox. By the time I got to lunch, the drink was warm. Six years, Spiriteds. Kindergarten through 5th. And for over 20 years afterward, I couldn’t drink anything that would resemble either of those beverages. K-Hubs and I would go to a wedding, and if the punch was that knowing color of pinky-orangey-red, he’d sip first and give the verdict second. Although, now I’m wondering why Mom was still making my lunch in 5th grade. There was absolutely no reason I couldn’t have been doing it on my own. Like, if I was able to put my hair in a ponytail with scrunchies and tight roll my jeans, then there was absolutely no reason I couldn’t have made my own lunch.

But, wait a tick. I was absolutely never good at tight-rolling my jeans. Fasion challenged. But I did rock a side pony and a Nicole Kidman-wannabe perm, so basically I should have been able to prep a sammich of bologna, white bread, and ALL THE BUTTER. Also, a Hostess chocolate cupcake, and probably an apple. 

But, seriously, I couldn’t drink any of that stuff for years. And then Aldi had the audacity to offer frozen fruit packages, and a few were of the fruit punch variety. At first I stayed away from them because now we’re at 25 years, and it’s still too soon. But one day, Aldi was OUT of all the others, and the girls wanted their smoothies. FINE. Because I love you, Toodle and Twinkle, I will buy these for you and blend them into a smoothie. But I will not drink it.

That is until I took a little nip. And HOLY COW, where have these been all my life? This isn’t lunchbox fruit punch!!! This is seriously good drink. Tropical Fruit Punch Power Smoothie knocked my socks off, and now I drink it all the time. Chilled, of course. And it’s super-straightforward to make. 

The quick way:

• Buy a package of frozen Season’s Choice Mixed Fruit from Aldi, let it partially thaw at room temperature, and dump it in the blender.
• Add almond milk (coconut and cashew milk would also work)
• Throw in a cupful or two of protein powder (I love Orgain Vanilla because it’s vegan, gluten-free, and soy-free)
• Blend in a serving of chia seeds. 
• Enjoy!

The also quick way, if you don’t have an Aldi nearby or your store doesn’t carry this particular blend of fruits:

• Combine two cups partially-thawed peach wedges, 1/3 cup partially-thawed pineapple chunks, 1/3 cup partially-thawed mango chunks, and 1/4 cup partially-thawed sliced strawberries.
• Repeat steps above, starting with the almond milk.
• Enjoy!

Now, I added a little twist to my Tropical Fruit Power Smoothie, which you see in these photos. And that is I added approximately one additional cup of partially-thawed strawberries. So absolutely good. Also, can we just geek out on protein powder for a minute? I was never big on the idea of protein powder. And I’ve tried a few that were rather forgettable. However, Orgain is absolutely my fave protein powder. It adds sweetness to smoothies without the extra sugar. And I swear it has a little cinnamon vibe going, without being too holly/berry in July. I’m now adding it to other smoothies, including Triple Beery Power Smoothie and On-the-Go Strawberry Breakfast Smoothie. So YUMMO.

Tropical Fruit Power Smoothie is a meal in a glass. A dessert on the go. And the girls were all over it. I thought they wouldn’t like it because it contains fruit that isn’t pink. But I was wrong. They love it. And it keeps them full while we are out and about this summer, living our best lives, LIKE WE DO. Sometimes that means we are at camp. Other times it means we are running around the backyard. Also, it might include running through all the sprinklers. And admittedly, it sometimes means a lazy day in front of the boob tube. We all live our best lives in different ways. But several days each week, the girls and I are devouring a Tropical Fruit Power Smoothie. And never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would write a sentence like that.

Tropical Fruit Power Smoothie

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• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 2 mins
• Total Time: 12 mins
• Yield: 3 cups 1x

Ingredients

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• 1 package frozen Aldi Season’s Choice Mixed Fruit (see notes to prep your own), partially thawed
• 1 1/4 cup almond milk (cashew or coconut milk will also work)
• 1–2 capfuls of vanilla protein powder (I used Orgain)
• 2–3 teaspoons agave nectar or 100% pure honey, optional
• 3 tablespoons chia seeds, optional

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Instructions

1. Combine fruit and milk in a high-speed blender and mix until smooth. Add in protein powder and sweetener, if using, and blend until smooth. Top with or mix in chia seeds.
2. Keep chilled and enjoy within 24 hours. It will also thicken as it stands.

Notes

If you don’t have an Aldi nearby or it doesn’t carry Mixed Fruit in the frozen section, then combine two cups partially-thawed peach wedges, 1/3 cup partially-thawed pineapple chunks, 1/3 cup partially-thawed mango chunks, and 1/4 cup partially-thawed sliced strawberries.