Seasonal fruit practically pours out of each grocery store and farmers' market. Temperatures teeter between pleasantly warm and hideously oppressive. It's summer and there's no better time to embrace smoothies as cooling, nourishing snacks or even as meals. Blend yourself up some vitamins, minerals, and much-needed glucose with these recipes. Feel free to add chlorella, spirulina, or vegan protein powder as desired.

Recipe #4: Sangria

Treat yourself to this fresh fruity cocktail, packed with antioxidants, vitamin C, and memory-strengthening polyphenol compounds. Enough with the nutrition talk, you had us at "sangria."

Ingredients:

• 1 lb red grapes
• 2 cups fresh-squeezed orange juice
• 2 cups strawberries

Optional:

To make a more traditional version of this drink, add eco-friendly wine and spirits.

Directions:

Combine grapes, orange juice, and strawberries in a blender. If you want this to be a green smoothie, don't remove tiny green leaves from your organic strawberries — they'll blend just fine. This recipe will be a bit thicker than store-bought sangria so keep blending until it reaches the desired consistency.

--by Krislyn Placide / Image by iStockphoto/sf_foodphoto

READ MORE:

Worth a Shot: Eco-friendly Liquor

On Tap: Eco-Beers

Green Your Drink: Sangria

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The Green Life is a Sierra Club Blog, featuring ideas for living well and doing good from Sierra magazine.