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Homemade Tropical Smoothie

By Holly Darnell, RD

July 14, 2024

If you go to the islands of the Caribbean, you’re likely familiar with the tropical smoothie. With so many tropical fruits, it’s hard to go wrong with your choices. But you can also whip up a delicious homemade tropical smoothie, including with a guava passionfruit collagen protein powder to complete the experience taste-wise as well as nutritionally.

You might have also heard of the cafe with the same name. Generally, their smoothies are to be avoided. While they claim to use real fruit, there’s clearly other ingredients that make their smoothies too sweet and calorie-dense. For example, a beach-themed smoothie contains 550 calories, including 35 grams of fat, just 4 grams of protein and 130 grams of carbohydrates, 109 of which is sugar. Yikes.

Compare that to our tropical smoothie: 252 calories; 41 grams of carbs (36 grams of natural sugar and 8 grams of fiber), 2 grams of fat and 13 grams of protein. Much better for you!

Let’s get to it.

Key ingredients for a tropical smoothie

Naturally, a tropical smoothie starts and ends with tropical fruits. Of course, it can be challenging to get certain tropical fruits in your local market. Guava, dragonfruit and papaya can be elusive, for example.

Instead, we recommend orange, mango, pineapple and banana. The mango and pineapple, ideally, is frozen in order to create a better, thicker texture as well as make for a cold tropical smoothie. You will want to buy the unsweetened version.

Orange, mango and pineapple fruits are all loaded with antioxidants, including vitamin C, A and many B vitamins. These fruits are why this smoothie is so high in all of these vitamins, including over 200 percent Daily Value (DV) in vitamin C, nearly 50 percent DV in vitamin A and nearly 40 percent DV in vitamin B6.

Like in our protein shake recipes, the banana is a great smoothie fruit for natural sweetness as well as adding thickness. Freeze it to make the smoothie more ice cream–like. Bananas are also high in the mineral manganese (with other ingredients, 70 percent DV in this smoothie), copper (37 percent DV), magnesium (27 percent DV) and potassium (19 percent DV).

Chia seeds are the great energy creator seed. The history of their nutritional use goes back to the Aztecs. In this smoothie, they serve as a high-fiber food, helping push the fiber content to 8 grams per serving. They also add some healthy fat.

Coconut water is a great electrolyte drink and provides part of that quintessential tropical flare.

Lastly, for some protein content with benefits, we opt for Multi Collagen Protein Beauty Within, which is guava passionfruit flavored. Along with clinically studied collagen, it contains a phytonutrient beauty blend that supports overall skin health and skin elasticity. It also promotes healthy hair thickness and reduces joint discomfort.

How to make a tropical smoothie

Like most smoothies, once you get the ingredients, it’s pretty darn easy.

First, peel and quarter the orange. Then peel and slice the banana into two or three pieces.

Add the orange and banana to a high-speed blender, along with one cup of frozen mango and frozen pineapple. Then add two teaspoons of chia seeds along with two scoops of Multi Collagen Protein Beauty Within powder.

Blend on high for at least one minute, until it’s smooth and fully combined.

Tropical smoothie tips

• If you want a thicker smoothie, use a frozen banana and a quarter cup less coconut water.

• You can also switch to coconut milk to make it richer and even more tropical. it will also thicken the smoothie. If you’re concerned about too many calories and fat grams, a good way to go is with a half-cup of coconut milk and a half-cup of plain water.

• Rather than the Beauty Within collagen, you can instead use Ancient Nutrition’s Multi Collagen Protein Vanilla or the new Whey Protein Vanilla Bean, the latter of which adds more protein.

Recipe developed by Holly Darnell, RD. Holly is a registered dietitian nutritionist who unlocked self-love at the intersection of exceptional food and practical solutions for healthy living. She’s passionate about helping others make simple, positive lifestyle changes on their individual path to healing.