Mint is an herb often relegated to chewing gum and mojitos, but there are actually a lot of creative ways to get more of it in your diet. Mint is easy to grow in a backyard garden or windowsill garden, and it has some really impressive health benefits too. Researchers have studied mint and uncovered promising connections to alleviating everything from indigestion to cold symptoms and certain types of pain.
Here are some tips for healthy ways to eat more mint in your daily diet and mint recipe ideas to get creative in the kitchen.
Add Flavor to Water and Tea
Perhaps the easiest way to get more mint in your days is to simply add it to your drinking water. Add a couple sprigs of mint to your glass of water or grind it at the bottom of the glass before filling with water to release more flavor. This is a great “trick” for making plain water tastier and choosing water over soda or sugary juices.
We also recommend our Olive Leaf Mint Tea, which is 100 percent natural and has no caffeine or artificial ingredients. Soothing peppermint leaves perfectly complement the olive leaves that we grow on our farm in Baja California.
Switch Up Your Soup
Many people think of chicken, noodles, and vegetables when it comes to soup. But there are lots of ways to eat soup, and some of them aren’t even warm! Here is a cool cucumber and mint soup recipe that will change your perception of soup and that really embraces the refreshing flavor of mint.
Cool Cucumber & Mint Soup
INGREDIENTS:
- 3 whole cucumbers, peeled
- 1 clove of garlic
- 2 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
- 1/4 cup water
- 3/4 cup fresh mint leaves, loosely packed
- 4 scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces
- Salt and black pepper
DIRECTIONS:
- Combine first 5 ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.
- Add mint and scallions to the blender and blend again.
- Place soup in the refrigerator to chill.
- Dice a fourth cucumber to use as a garnish and top with sprigs of mint.
Try a Tasty Vegetable Side Dish
Mint also goes great with vegetables and adds a great flavor to healthy vegetable side dishes. Here’s a fun way to liven up your regular vegetable routine at meals.
Sliced Vegetables with Feta and Mint
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 zucchinis
- 1 eggplant
- 8 green onions
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and black pepper
- 1 small lemon, juiced
- 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 50g feta cheese, crumbled
- 2 tbsp. mint leaves
DIRECTIONS:
- Cut squash and eggplant into quarters and then cut lengthwise.
- Cut onions into pieces about 5 centimeters long.
- Put first 4 ingredients into a ceramic dish.
- Add olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Heat vegetables on a barbecue grill on medium heat for about 10 minutes.
- Transfer vegetables to a serving dish.
- Mix lemon juice and olive oil and pour over vegetables.
- Sprinkle feta and mint on top and serve.
Make a Versatile Mint Sauce
Whether you’re a meat-eater or prefer vegetables, here’s an easy mint sauce that goes great with lots of different dishes.
Traditional Mint Sauce
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 tbsp. caster sugar
- 2 cups mint leaves, chopped
- 1/3 cup white wine vinegar
DIRECTIONS:
- Boil water and add 1 tbsp. of it to the sugar.
- Stir until sugar is dissolved.
- Add mint leaves and vinegar and stir again.
- This recipe makes about 1/2 cup of sauce and will last a couple days if stored in the refrigerator.