Thirst-Quenching Watermelon Chia Fresca
Christmas time in Australia is hot, balmy, sometimes humid but always merry! We needed a cool, delicious drink to go alongside our Christmas lunch and we looked to the land of exotic drinks, Mexico, for the answer. Enter Agua Fresca's - light, fruity and seriously easy to make - these drinks are hugely popular in Mexico and make for a healthier alternative to soft drinks. You can make Agua Fresca's with most fruit (strawberry or peach would work beautifully), but for our recipe we've chosen summery watermelon paired with mint and Chia seeds.
Before we get to the making of this fruity number, here's what we love about it:
- Chia seeds – source of vegan omega-3 fats, high in fibre and a reasonable source of magnesium, manganese and calcium making them an excellent food to balance blood sugar levels and prevent a mid-afternoon slump.
- Watermelon – good source of b-vitamins, vitamin C and minerals. Watermelon also provides some much needed electrolytes for a hot summer's day.
- Mint - is an aromatic green leafy herb which is a lovely addition to sweet recipes. It’s known to reduce gastrointestinal upset, so perfect support for your Christmas feast. Bonus, it goes well with our candy cane stirrer!
Most fresca's have added sugars but instead we've used our favourite natural sweetener Monk Fruit to keep the sugar consumption low. Monk Fruit is naturally 8 times sweeter than sugar so when you're making this keep this in mind. It can be tempting to sprinkle a little more but definitely take a sip before adding again to the mix!
Watermelon Chia Fresca
Makes: 4
Time: 20 mins
Ingredients
2 Cups Filtered water or coconut water
4 Tbsp Morlife Certified Organic Chia seeds
5 Heaped cups seedless watermelon chopped
1/4 Cup packed fresh mint leaves
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
½ Tsp Morlife Monk Fruit Powder
Method
1. Mix chia seeds in water, stir for a few minutes to avoid clumping and set aside for 15 minutes to allow the chis to form a gel.
2. Add remaining ingredients to the blender and blitz until smooth.
3. Add chia gel and blitz again to combine.
4. Serve chilled.