The Philippine Healthy Island Cocktail: The Skinny Mango Shake!

If you’ve been to the Philippines, you’ve had a Mango Shake. It’s an awesome little local treat that you are greeted with at hotels. You can also pick up just about anywhere for as little as 70 PHP (about $1.6 USD) on the beach. I’m willing to bet if you ventured off the beaten path, this is likely even less, but that is totally beside the point. The point is they are everywhere and pretty darn tasty!

What’s in a Mango Shake?

It looks like the recipe is pretty loose in terms of exact measurements and varies across establishments, bartenders and even the mood of the mixologist. But the basic ingredients are the same and it starts with an entire mango.

Mangos are awesome for you, not only because they are tasty, there are actually come with some pretty impressive nutrition benefits. Here are just a few, a little summary out of the nutrition guide from one of my original nutrition programs:

Good source of vitamin A, C and E, the minerals potassium, calcium, phosphorus and fiber. Contains pectin, known for helping aid digestion and lower cholesterol. Strong cancer fighter with over 25 phytochemicals including carotenoids, polyphenols and flavonoids, particularly quercetin. Also has an alkalizing affect on the body due to tartaric and malic acid helping to regulate the body’s PH.

If you get a plain mango shake (no other fruits) then your only other ingredients are simple syrup, crushed ice and regular milk. All of these exact quantities are a little TBD. For the most part, no so terrible for you. Because I don’t have a ton of sugar and milk on a regular basis, and because we became quite good friends with our little mango mixolgists, we got them to play along with us and “Skinny” it up just a bit.

So how do you make the Mango Shake healthier?

I’m keeping the mango but loosing the sugar and the milk. This saves you about 120 calories diary and well, added sugar. This version is a little on the tart side, so I add ed1/2 of an overripe banana for a little natural sweetness. Plus it adds some fiber, a few more nutritive benefits and just over 50 calories. So now for the full skinny mango shake you’re looking at 120 calories, 3.5g fiber, 1g protein, 16% vitamin A, 55% vitamin C and 1-2% of your Calcium and Iron. Not bad – right?

So how does it become a Healthy Island Cocktail?

This part is very simple. You go next door, buy a 375 ml bottle of local white rum for 50 PHP ($1.14 USD) and you play mixologist on the beach. It’s that simple and that fun! Then you grab a floaty and float around in the ocean all afternoon. It’s really quite amazing.

So there you have it — A Skinny version of a the local Philippine favorite Mango Shake. And of course, a little oh-so creative and inexpensive way to booze up on vacation.

What’s your favorite Island Cocktail? I bet I can figure out how to make it healthier for you!

*This was originally posted on Eat. Drink & be Skinny*