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Healthy Kale Lemonade

July 18, 2022
Shanika | Orchids + Sweet Tea
This Healthy Kale Lemonade is made with lemons, chopped kale, honey and pineapple chunks for a refreshing and tasty drink with benefits.

Healthy Kale Lemonade

This Healthy Kale Lemonade is a quick, healthy option for a great detox or immune system boost with a tasty, refreshing element during those hot sunny days. Made from freshly-squeezed lemons, chopped kale, raw honey, and pineapple chunks, this lemonade is bursting with delicious flavors as well as amazing health benefits which include a boost in digestion, cleansing/detoxing properties, metabolic aide, and more. Vegan option available.

Two glasses of bright green Kale Lemonade next to kale, lemons, and ice

This Kale Lemonade is by far my newest favorite drink. I've always been more of a "drinker" than an eater, so I especially love whenever I get to share a new drink recipe with you. Mocktails are usually my go-to, especially during the summer months however, lemonade is something that I grew up drinking and there's nothing like freshly made lemonade at home.

While I don’t detox often, it’s definitely one of the best things to do to ensure that you help aide your body it’s daily replenishment process. Yes—drinking detox ingredients in the form of a smoothie or juice is fun, but it’s really even more fun in the form of a lemonade—-which can be served during gatherings and parties as a healthier option. Cheers to this Healthy Kale Lemonade! Plus, if you're into healthier drinks, you'll love this Mango Lemonade Kombucha Mocktail, Honey Grapefruit Cucumber Thyme Tea, and Anti-Inflammatory Pineapple Citrus Smoothie.

What is a Detox?

By dictionary definition, Detox is the psychological or medicinal removal of toxic substances from the human body. Therefore, detoxes like this one helps your body to reset and get rid of toxins (which can be built up by many factors internally and externally) so that we can feel rejuvenated, improve our health, and help with weight loss.

Ingredients for Kale Lemonade including kale, lemons, and pineapple chunks

Ingredients in Healthy Kale Lemonade

It just takes a few fresh ingredients for this detox kale lemonade recipe:

  • Kale. For a nice refreshing green color/flavor and is a superfood with a great source of Vitamin A, C, Calcium, Folate, among others.
  • Lemon juice. This perks up the richness of the other ingredients and adds a nice acidity.
  • Pineapple chunks or juice. Again, I like to purchase organic pineapple chunks or I'll cut a whole pineapple myself. Also, organic unsweetened pineapple juice works.
  • Water.
  • Honey. You could also use Agave or maple syrup or omit the sweetener altogether.

How to Make Kale Lemonade

The first step to making this detoxifying kale lemonade drink is to make your freshly squeezed lemon juice. You’ll need about 4 large, juicy organic lemons to produce enough juice for this drink.

I like to slice my lemons in halves, and squeeze out the juices through a strainer to prevent seeds from being included. However, you can also use a “squeezing tool” for greater ease if preferred.

Once you have plenty of lemon juice, you can add everything to a high-powered blender and blend until combined and kale is full broken down. Strain into a pitcher or bowl and then serve over ice!

Blender of ingredients for Kale Lemonade

Lemonade Ice Cubes: The Perfect Way to Avoid Waste

Making any kind of drink, especially this kale lemonade throughout the week can sometimes mean that you might want to switch things up a bit for a different taste or fancier feel, especially when it comes to lemons that you might have lying around unused. Yes—instead of letting your organic lemons get spoiled, why not just freeze them and re-create a new drink infused with lemonade each day? Right? Haha.

Ingredients for Lemonade Ice Cubes:

  • Lemon juice. You need about 2 lemons freshly-squeezed.
  • Agave. You can also use honey or maple syrup as a sweetener substitute.
  • Lemon. Adds additional lemon flavor. I dice them into tiny pieces so that they fit within the ice.
  • Water.

Great Ways to Spruce Up Your Kale Lemonade

Whether you make this Kale Lemonade often or just feel like sprucing things up for additional health benefits or for a greater taste, here are a few ingredients that you can add to the mix:

  • Apple cider vinegar
  • Celery
  • Herbs (basil, oregano, etc.)
  • Ginger
  • Turmeric

Closeup of two glasses of bright green Kale Lemonade

Benefits of Fresh Lemon Juice

The lemons in this kale lemonade pack some important health benefits, including:

  • Vitamin C, for a strong immune system
  • Citric acid, which can help prevent blood disorders like anemia
  • Soluble fiber if you include some of the lemon pulp, which helps promote healthy digestion

Why Use Kale as a Detox? How to Prepare it.

In case you weren’t aware, kale has many health benefits that makes it a great option for detox drinks. Actually, it’s considered a superfood and comes packed with protein, Vitamin A, C, + K, along with other minerals/vitamins, which is why I wanted to share some of the few ways to prepare kale for detoxifying benefits:

  • Steam it
  • Pair it with good fats
  • Juice it or add it to a smoothie
  • Include it in baked goods, foods, etc.

Glass of bright green Kale Lemonade

Serving Suggestions for this Kale Lemonade

I like to keep this kale lemonade chilled in the fridge. To serve, pour glasses over ice and enjoy.

And for a nice garnish, I like to decorate each glass with a juicy wedge of lemons for a simple look.

Storage

You can store a pitcher of your Kale Lemonade drink in the fridge for up to a week. Best if consumed within a few days.

Two glasses of bright green Kale Lemonade with ice

More Detox Drink Recipes

MADE OUR RECIPE(S)?

If you make this Healthy Kale Lemonade or any other recipe from us, be sure to tag us on Instagram at #Orchidsandsweettea so that we can share the love!

Two glasses of bright green Kale Lemonade

Healthy Kale Lemonade

July 18, 2022
5 from 5 votes
This Healthy Kale Lemonade is made with lemons, chopped kale, honey and pineapple chunks for a refreshing and tasty drink with benefits.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

LEMONADE:

  • 4-5 cups filtered water
  • 4 large organic lemons, freshly-squeezed
  • ½ cup raw honey (Add additional sweetener if needed)
  • 2 cups chopped kale
  • 1 cup pineapple chunks

GARNISH:

  • Crushed ice
  • Lemon wedges
  • Pineapple chunks, optional

Instructions

  • In a high-speed blender, add together the water, chopped kale, lemon juice, honey, and pineapples, and blend until smooth and kale is fully broken down. NOTE: Add more sweetener if needed.
  • Using a strainer, strain the liquid mixture into a bowl and discard any pulp from the kale.
  • ASSEMBLY: For each drink, fill the glass with crushed ice followed by the kale lemonade. Garnish with lemon wedges or pineapple chunks, if desired.
  • Sip and Enjoy!

Tips & Tricks

  • STORAGE: Keep any leftovers in the refrigerator, tightly covered in your pitcher or in a sealed mason jar for up to 1 week. Best if consumed within a few days.
  • SWEETENER: Instead of Honey, you can always use Agave or maple syrup.
  • VEGAN OPTION: To make this lemonade vegan, simply substitute honey with Agave or maple syrup.

Nutrition

Calories: 207kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 34mg | Potassium: 361mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 46g | Vitamin A: 3400IU | Vitamin C: 94mg | Calcium: 132mg | Iron: 2mg

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Script text: Xx, Shanika

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  1. This lemonade is really good. I used zero cal sweetener instead of honey. how much does that change the calorie intake ?
    Thanks !