Healty cocktails on drinks menu

Nothing is more fun than sitting out on the terraces when the first sunbeams of spring start shining. We’ve left behind a long period of not being able to enjoy ourselves eating and drinking together, so being able to relax is more important than ever.

It’s also important to look after our health. Can these two be done at the same time? Of course! The function of a restaurant terrace remains the same, but now includes more choices.

 

1. Healthy milkshakes

Did you know you can make milkshakes healthier by leaving out the ice cream and sugar? Replace the ice cream with fat-free milk, soy milk, yoghurt or even fat-free ice cream. Now you can enjoy a guilt-free alternative without losing what makes a milkshake delicious and creamy.

Tip: Investing in a big, expensive milkshake machine isn’t necessary at all. Have a look at the Drinks Mixer  from Maxima. This single appliance can sit on your countertop to make only the most delicious milkshakes, but also cocktails, drinks mixes and smoothies.

 

2. Orange juice

This classic thirst quencher should never be left out or forgotten. Which is why it’s been on most restaurant drinks menus for years. And rightly so because a glass of freshly squeezed juice is already a healthy option.

It’s important to make sure you can serve up freshly squeezed orange juice at a moment’s notice. Compared to packaged juice, the freshly squeezed version is not only healthier, but you can’t even compare the taste, it’s so much better!

Fresh juice also contains 50% more vitamins and just one glass already provides more than half the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C. That's a great boost for the immune system!

Is hand squeezing taking up too much time? An automatic orange juicer  quickly provides plenty of juice and is even available with a self-service tap.

3. Smoothies

Looking for more vitamins than just vitamin C? Try combining other whole fruits instead of just juicing them. In other words, make smoothies! Smoothies are really high in fibre and if you only use water as the liquid for the smoothie, they can be very low in sugar. Of course, a vegetable smoothie is even richer in fibre and minerals, and provides a colourful option on your drinks menu.

Smoothies are really easy to make with a blender or even a drinks mixers. Serve after using a blast chiller  to freeze the glass to keep it stylish and the drink cool and fresh.

4. Beer

Beer doesn't immediately spring to mind as a healthy drink, does it? That's absolutely right, but the boom in popularity of non-alcoholic and low alcohol beers offer 'more sensible alternatives' to the alcoholic varieties.

The rising success of these drinks is partly due to the fact that the customer simply has more choice. So it pays to have several non-alcoholic or low-alcohol beers on the menu. For example, try adding a lager, radler, blond beers, IPAs or even a white beer to your menu. All these varieties are fresh and crisp, which is always popular, not only in spring.

 

It’s easy to give your drinks menu a healthy update without making large investments in appliances or labouring over complicated drinks.

 

5. Skinny cocktails

The same concept can also be applied to other alcoholic drinks, such as cocktails. By replacing alcohol or sugary ingredients with a healthier alternative, you can put a ‘smart’ or skinny version of some favourite cocktails on the table.

Cocktails made with soft drinks can be major calorie bombs. Instead of a gin and tonic, make a gin and tea by cooling green tea and mixing in honey, ice cubes and gin.

Or how about a gin and sparkling water, with lime or lemon juice?

Add crushed watermelon, a mint leaves and crushed ice to a bit of sparkling water and suddenly you have a mojito without any added sugar!

Need another suggestion? To make a lighter vodka ice tea, replace high calorie soft drinks or syrups with green tea and lime juice. Add a few drops of honey for the finishing touch.

You can see that it’s easy to give a drinks menu a healthy update without spending a lot of money or time trying new recipes. Just a few simple substitutions are all you need.

Just a slightly more health conscious approach to a few of the drinks in the current range will ensure that you can keep up with the trend of offering healthier choices.