Turmeric Pineapple Lemonade

My turmeric pineapple lemonade gives the classic drink a healthy makeover by substituting pineapple for sugar and adding turmeric and ginger!

Friends, if there is one thing we Floridians know, it is the necessity of an ice cold drink on a hot and humid day. Also alligators. And the fact that where there is a body of water, there must also be an alligator. This is science, folks.

But getting back to the point.

There isn’t a drink I crave more during the dead heat of summer than lemonade. It’s the perfect sweet accompaniment to a lazy June day on the lanai (read: patio for you non-Floridians out there).

The problem is, like most classic and craveable recipes, it’s not great for you.

Hint, it’s all the sugar…

So, you know me. For my Turmeric Pineapple Lemonade, I just had to substitute the white sugar traditionally in the drink.

I looked at using honey and agave nectar instead. However, even they are not great substitutes for white sugar. Sure, they’re sweet. Sure, they are probably better for you. But at the end of the day, they just contribute sweetness to the recipe without any real nutritional value.

This led me to using fruit to sweeten my lemonade.

While fruits still contain a good deal of natural sugar, they also contain vitamins and minerals you just can’t get from white sugar.

I’ve used dates in the past to sweeten recipes like my Superfood Turmeric Hot Chocolate and my Scrumptious Mocha Banana Bread. While I loved these, dates just aren’t right for lemonade for so many reasons. The biggest reason being who wants brown lemonade…Yeah. Me neither.

So that led me to pineapple! And I love the results. It sweetens my lemonade just enough while preserving that signature “tang.” It even adds a hint of a tropical flair to the flavor. Which is obviously just perfect for Florida, native land of the plastic yard flamingos.

Finally, to amp up the health benefits, I added ginger and turmeric.

Side note: it might seem a little bizarre to add black pepper to lemonade, but it does help your body absorb the turmeric and all the umptious health benefits it has. Plus, you can’t even taste it. Definitely don’t leave it out.

So here’s the lowdown of the health benefits you get from my Turmeric Pineapple Lemonade:

• Turmeric: Fights inflammation, contains antioxidants, may help prevent aging
• Ginger: Fights inflammation, treats indigestion, may help fight infections
• Pineapple: Contains antioxidants, treats indigestion, boosts immunity

Yeah, it’s an easy decision, isn’t it? Enjoy your ice cold HEALTHY lemonade, my friends!

PS: Check out my other delicious and healthy drink recipes! No white sugar allowed!