Refreshing homemade drinks with few calories.

If we control the amount of sugar by reducing it to a minimum or avoiding it altogether, they can be much more interesting. The fruit juices that they contain provide us with vitamins and minerals, as well as vitamin C and potassium.

The lower the sugar content, the healthier the soft drinks we prepare will be.

Of course, slushies are the healthiest soft drinks as they contain a higher ice content, and therefore, water in proportion to the rest of the ingredients.

They keep us cool and hydrated on the hottest days.

Being mainly composed of water, they are low in calories.

They also stand out for their digestive power.

They are a very original way to add a touch of flavor to water, which also allows you to try combinations and new flavors.

Just add your favourite fruit in large pieces and, if you wish, some aromatic herbs such as mint, ginger, basil or rosemary...

We recommend you try the cucumber and kiwi, the mandarin and strawberry, or the raspberry and mint. Add some large ice cubes and drink it at any time of the day. It is best if it is very cold, and remember to change the fruit every 24 hours.

Ingredients : 1 kilo of watermelon, 20 fresh mint leaves, two tablespoons of brown sugar (or erythrole), the juice of 3 lemons, one liter of mineral water and lots of ice.

Preparation : Peel the watermelon and remove the seeds, cut it into pieces and set aside. Wash the mint leaves and crush them in a jug with the sugar. Put the watermelon in the blender glass along with the mineral water and the lemon juice. Blend well until you have a homogeneous liquid. Pour this mixture into the jug containing the sweetener and crushed mint. Finally, add a handful of ice and stir well. Leave it in the refrigerator for an hour before serving.

Ingredients for four people : 500 ml of coffee, 60 g of brown sugar and 8 ml of lemon juice.

Preparation : The ideal way to make a good coffee slush is to use strong coffee, but if you prefer you can also use instant coffee. Heat 100 ml of water and dissolve 3 tablespoons of sugar in it. Stir and let it reduce for 5 minutes until you obtain a syrup that you mix with the coffee. Add the lemon juice and mix well. Place the mixture in a Tupperware or on a tray and freeze it for 2 hours. After that time, break the ice crystals and put it back in the freezer, repeating the operation every 30 minutes, until everything is slush. Serve it in tall glasses, you can decorate it with lemon zest.

Ingredients: 150 g of raspberries (fresh or frozen), 1 litre of cold water, 2 unpeeled lemons cut into quarters, 2 sprigs of mint leaves, 4 tablespoons of sugar and 8 or 10 ice cubes.

Preparation : Put the raspberries in a food processor and blend them. Add half a litre of water, the lemons and the sugar and blend again. Add the rest of the water and stir. Taste the sugar content and add a little more if necessary, depending on how sweet you like it. Strain the lemonade and put it in a jug. Add the ice cubes and mint leaves and serve.

Ingredients for 1 litre : 1 medium-sized pineapple, 30 ml of lemon juice, 1 piece of fresh ginger, 1 litre of sparkling water, stevia or sugar to taste.

Preparation : Peel the pineapple, removing all the rind, making sure to retain any juices it may release. Chop it up. Peel and grate the ginger. Squeeze in the lemon juice. Place all the ingredients in a blender or juicer. Blend everything well until you have a smooth mixture without lumps. Taste for sweetness and adjust the amount of stevia or sugar. You can strain it through a sieve if you want to remove the rind. Put it in a jug and let it cool in the fridge. Serve with plenty of ice.

Ingredients for two people : 3 cups of water, 3 tablespoons of black tea, 2 cinnamon sticks, 1 vanilla pod, fresh ginger, honey, 6 cloves, 8 cardamom pods, ground pepper, orange peel, ice and a cup of almond milk or vegetable drink.

Preparation : In a saucepan, place the water, tea, cinnamon, the vanilla pod cut open, honey (1 tbsp), a pinch of grated ginger, cloves, lightly crushed cardamom, a little ground black pepper and the orange peel. Bring all these ingredients to a boil and reduce the heat when they begin to boil for about 20 minutes, reducing to about a cup. Remove from the heat and let it cool to room temperature. Strain the liquid and fill two glasses with crushed ice and divide between them. Top up with almond milk or any vegetable drink you like and serve over ice.

Ingredients : 5 lemons, 400 ml of water, 100 g of sugar, 20 g of lemon zest and 10 ice cubes.

Preparation : The secret to this lemonade is to first prepare a syrup with water and sugar. Put the water and sugar in a saucepan with some lemon peels and bring to the boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. After about ten minutes on a very low heat, you will have a light syrup. Let the syrup cool and set it aside. To make a jug of lemonade, put half of the syrup (225 ml) in the bottom of a large jug. Cut the lemons in half and remove a very thin slice from each one, which you also add for decoration. Squeeze and pour the juice over the water and sugar syrup, filling the jug with a little more cold water and stirring lightly. Add the ice and place the jug in the refrigerator for five minutes to finish cooling before serving.

Ingredients : green tea, brown sugar, a few sprigs of mint.

Preparation : Put a tablespoon of brown sugar and a tablespoon of green tea for each person in the teapot. Pour the water into the teapot and let it sit for a minute. Add a bunch of mint and let it sit for a few minutes. Pour the resulting tea into a jug and let it cool. Serve in a wide glass with ice and a sprig of mint.

DECORATIVE ICE

Everyone likes their glass to look attractive, and nothing is more cheerful and summery than decorative ice cubes.

It's really easy: put pieces of fruit, herbs or flowers in the ice cube tray, fill the space with water and put it in the freezer. When you drop those cubes into any glass, it will look different. If you're making smoothies, enriched water or juices, just reserve a few pieces of the ingredients.