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    Cool Down with the Hottest Food Trend

    These days presentation is everything! This especially holds true when it comes to food. It needs to look good, taste good and, as an added perk, be good for you! In comes the smoothie.

     

    Here’s a look at some smoothie options to choose from in Bethlehem – each offering something different.

    Blendlife

     

    Smoothies on wheels! BlendLife operates out of the BlendLife Food Mobile–which is essentially a food truck. It can be visited every Thursday at the Bethlehem Farmers’ Market at Farrington Square on Lehigh University’s campus from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. They can also be seen around the Lehigh Valley at festivals. They always post their schedule on their Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.

     

    Their speciality: smoothies that are 100% natural, no fillers or sweeteners, and dairy-free! Their most popular is the Rio as it is the lightest and sweetest with a blend of acai, strawberry, banana, and almond milk. BlendLife uses the acai berry in many of their smoothies. In fact, it is even integrated into their logo!

     

    They also offer grill-wiches and grill-a-dillas. Above all, what brought me to BlendLife was their smoothie bowls! Yes, they serve the beloved smoothie bowl and they are beautiful! A smoothie bowl is a bowl with a thicker based smoothie and then layered and topped with other components such as granola, fruits, and nuts. BlendLife serves two options: the Rio Bowl or the Dragon Fruit Bowl. I opted for the Dragon Fruit and boy it did not disappoint.

    The Wise Bean

     

    The Wise Bean is known for their coffee, but they also offer some delicious smoothies if you want an uncaffeinated way to cool down. With two flavors always “on tap”, they are ready to whip you up the Green Monkey or the Strawberry Blast. When I say “on tap” one may assume these smoothies are premixed, but OH NO! “On tap” at The Wise Bean means every day they stock freshly cut fruit they refrigerate in case of an order. They use fresh fruit, never frozen.

     

    You can watch your smoothie be made fresh from the counter, which was intentional when they designed their coffee bar. I watched my Green Monkey be assembled. It was composed of pineapple, spinach, banana, apple, and ice. Both the Monkey and the Blast are vegan and dairy-free as well! The Wise Bean worked hard to create smoothies with wholesome ingredients and avoid extra fillers. The toughest part was perfecting the recipe to single servings in their 16 oz cups instead of making it in bulk.

     

    The Green Monkey was my first venture into the green smoothie world. I loved the sweetness the spinach brought to the flavor combo. Plus, even without any dairy products used, the smoothie had this light creaminess. Definitely going back for more this summer!

     

    With the Blueberry Festival around the corner, The Wise Bean is currently working on their blueberry-based smoothie special as per Instagram! It’s only available for a limited time so be sure to get yours!

     

    >> COST: $6.00 plus tax (16 oz)

    Cafe the Lodge

     

    Have no fear, some dairy is here! Cafe the Lodge also serves up smoothies. Unlike BlendLife and The Wise Bean, they do in fact use dairy as their base. For those who like to get some calcium from their smoothie fix, the Lodge uses a mix base and adds Greek yogurt. They tend to feature one smoothie a month. June’s was the Wild Berry Blast.

     

    Smoothies go quickly at the Lodge. Regulars who work close by will pop in for more than one some days.

     

    But what excited the employees at the Lodge the most was actually what was on deck for their frozen drinks: frappuccinos. They will soon be serving up an array of flavors including a salt caramel.

     

    The best perk of sipping back a smoothie at Cafe the Lodge is their outdoor garden. Cool down in the best ambiance with a small pond and pops of color from the plant life to the artwork – truly a tranquil escape in SouthSide Bethlehem!

     

    >> COST: $3.75 plus tax