Smoothies: sneaky nutrition for your family

From the time my son was 6 months old, I realized that getting him to eat correctly would take some work. Sure, he loved the sweet mashed up fruits, but would he eat his veggie purees? Most certainly not.

Many parents then go about hiding the vegetable puree amongst the fruit to try and conceal the taste, which certainly worked well for me until e was on a strict no-much diet. I became terribly dismayed as the broccoli and carrots and celery I had lovingly prepared ended up being hurled to the floor (usually accompanied with an irresistible grin). How the heck was I going to get this toddler to eat his vegetables?

That’s when it hit me – puree… food processor… smoothies! More parents than I realized knew this trick well before I had cleverly (or so I thought) come up with the idea.

Best Vegetables to Use in Smoothies

When first introducing your child to smoothies, it’s a good idea to choose vegetables that are sweeter or not as flavorful as others. Some great veggies to throw into any fruit smoothie are:

• Carrots
• Cucumber
• Yams & Sweet Potatoes
• Cauliflower
• Corn

If you find that your child has no difficulties eating these vegetable in a smoothie, you can begin to introduce:

• Celery
• Broccoli
• Tomatoes
• Kale
• Chard
• Spinach

Mix and match to see which combinations your child likes best. I’ve known some little ones to adore spinach while others were all about tomatoes.

Some Recipes to Try

Below are some recipes that I have used for my kids that they really enjoy:

Straw-Celer-Berry Smoothie

• 3 Celery sticks
• 1 Med. carton of apple juice
• 6 Strawberries (fresh or frozen)
• 1 Personal-sized strawberry yogurt

Finely chop the celery and mix in with the apple juice in the blender. Chop up the strawberries and then add them to the mix. Add the yogurt, and blend for up to 60 seconds.

The Carrot Supreme Smoothie

• 3 Fresh carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 Med. sized cucumber, chopped
• 1 Golden Delicious apple, cored and quartered
• 1 Small cup of your favorite fruit juice
• 3 Tablespoons of fat-free yogurt

OPTIONAL

For older kids, I will also sometimes include:

• ½ Cup of cashew nuts
• 3 Tablespoons of sunflower seeds

Simply put the ingredients in the blender and let ‘er rip! Blend until no chunks can be seen.

photo by Tanja Sund