Anti-Inflammatory Pineapple Smoothie

A 5-ingredient anti-inflammatory pineapple smoothie that is kid-friendly yet tastes like a pina colada. And the ingredients are probably in your refrigerator right now. Just like my fruity strawberry smoothie, and my creamy chocolate smoothie (no banana), this pineapple smoothie goes down fresh and frosty, and there are so many more benefits beyond taste.

Why You'll Love This Smoothie

• Sweetened only by fruit. It's sweetened by fruit only, pears and pineapple. That's it! No need for sweeteners, even healthier ones like maple syrup.
• Anti-inflammatory. This smoothie contains mostly pineapple which is high in bromelain, known to reduce inflammation. Add a teaspoon of celery seeds to boost the antioxidants that help lower inflammation as well.
• Brain booster. Pineapple and pears combined have also long been known as a brain booster, primarily because of the power behind the enzyme called bromelain which boosts cell regeneration, and support nerve ending health.

Ingredients

• So where does this tropical flavor come from? It's in the pineapple-coconut combination. Here are the ingredients you need to make this delicious refreshing smoothie.
• Pineapple - Of course. But fresh or frozen? The answer is frozen to keep the drink frosty. You can buy frozen pineapple in the freezer section, or you can buy fresh chunks or even a whole pineapple, chop it up and freeze that.
• Milk - I recommend coconut milk found in your grocer's dairy section, not canned. Coconut will contribute to the tropical spirit and flavor, but any dairy-free milk works.
• Pears - I like to sweeten all my smoothies with fruit. I often use pears because they are sweet yet neutral in color. But don't use hard green pears or the flavor will be bitter. You can use ripe bananas instead if you can't find ripe pears. Or green grapes work too.
• Lemon juice - Even pears and pineapples are sweet so in contrast I like to freshen the flavor with a bite of citrus. Plus the added lemon juice means more vitamin C.
• Raspberries - A few frozen raspberries can turn a small portion of the finished pineapple smoothie pink! Use a pinch of turmeric to turn a smaller amount yellow but this coloring is all optional.
• Celery seeds (optional) - Add only a half a teaspoon and you can find them in the spice section of your grocery store. The tiny seeds, which actually taste like celery, are also said to support digestion, detox, and de-bloating effects, according to at least one study.

See the recipe card at the bottom for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Steps to Make Pineapple Smoothie

For more detail, visit the complete recipe at the bottom of this post, but here are general steps.

STEP 1: Add all the pineapple smoothie ingredients into a blender jar.

STEP 2: Blend until creamy, about 30 seconds. Add more milk to make it as thin as you want. You can stop here and enjoy your frosty pineapple smoothie, or you can create the three colors you see in my image.

STEP 3: To create colored layers, follow these steps: For a pink layer, either muddle some raspberries or blend them into about ½ cup worth of the pineapple smoothie.

STEP 4: To small bright yellow layer, remove ¼ cup of the pineapple smoothie and stir in a pinch of turmeric.

STEP 5: Serve all three colors layered. I also add a layer of plain coconut yogurt and a dusting of shredded coconut for an even more of a tropical feel.

How To Store

I typically recommend you drink your anti-inflammatory smoothie immediately for most potent effects. If you must refrigerate your smoothie, do so for only a day. Any longer and the nutrition starts to diminish. Or you could make smoothie cubes by storing the smoothie in ice cube trays to freeze and then blend and drink later.

Meal-Prep Smoothies

I recommend two ways to meal prep this smoothie, or rather make it in advance and store:

1. Make the smoothie, then freeze it in an ice cube tray, freeze until solid, store the cubes in freezer bags in the freezer. To thaw, add 6-7 cubes to a glass the night before, refrigerate it and stir the melted smoothie the next day, and drink.

2. Put the smoothie ingredients for one smoothie minus the liquid in freezer bags, keep the bags stored in the freezer. To make a smoothie, add the ingredients from one bag into a blender, add the liquid and blend.

Variations

Greens: Add in a handful of spinach or kale to turn this smoothie or a portion of it green.

Protein: Add 1 tablespoon of chia seeds or flaxseed to up the protein.

Sweeten: For a sweeter smoothie, mix in a tablespoon of maple syrup or swap some of the milk for a sweet juice.

Smoothie Bowl: Serve the smoothie in a bowl with toppings such as chocolate chips, granola, shredded coconut and freshly sliced fruit.