Easy Smoothie Recipes For Kids

I am in the middle of my nutrition program series at The Boys and Girls Club of Waterbury and the kids have been responding well to hands-on activities that involve food (who doesn’t??).  I have been focusing on teaching them about the different food groups, and getting enough variety from each of every day.  We had a few volunteers offer to share a list of what they ate the day before, and we noticed a pattern; no one was getting the recommended 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day.  We talked about ways to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into their diets, like adding berries to their morning cereal, taking the vegetable (and eating it) that is served with the school lunch, and eating a fruit before hunting for chips when they get home from school.  And then I introduced the hands-on activity…

Smoothies for everyone!

Once the cheering died down, we talked about what goes into a smoothie and why it’s an easy and nutritious choice for a snack or breakfast:

• Smoothies can contain multiple servings of fruits and vegetables.
• Smoothies have the fiber of the fruits and vegetables mixed in, rather than removed, like with fruit juices.
• Smoothies can contain other ingredients, like milk and nut butters, to increase their vitamin, mineral, and protein intake for the day.
• Smoothies taste great! (that was unanimous)

We also talked about some helpful smoothie tips:

• Load the blender from softest ingredients to hardest ingredients for a smooth blend.
• Use almond/coconut/rice/soy/cow’s milk for a protein boost instead of water.
• Use some frozen fruit in place of ice cubes for an extra fruit serving and a cold smoothie.
• Store leftover smoothies (if you have any!!) in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

After all of the talking, it was time to get blending and tasting.  We made two easy smoothie recipes; the Super Strawberry Smoothie and the Great Green Smoothie.

Super Strawberry Smoothie

Makes 12-16 ounces

1 cup milk (almond milk for low FODMAP)

1 cup Greek strawberry yogurt (almond yogurt for low FODMAP)

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 cups frozen strawberries

Layer the blender, beginning with the milk and go down the list, ending with the strawberries. Cover the blender and blend until smooth.   For a thinner smoothie, add a bit more milk.

The Great Green Smoothie

Makes 12-16 ounces

1 cup milk (almond milk for low FODMAP)

2 cups baby spinach

1 tablespoon nut butter

1 frozen banana

Load all ingredients into the blender, beginning with the milk and ending with the banana. Blend until smooth and you will have a healthy and nutritious meal or snack in minutes!

The kids at The Boys and Girls Club of Waterbury liked the Super Strawberry Smoothie better than the Great Green Smoothie, but you wouldn’t have guessed it from how quickly they finished their Great Green Smoothies!  Those who claimed to “hate” spinach, still managed to ask for seconds.

From kids to kids at heart, even the pickiest among us cannot resist a delicious smoothie. Creamy and cold, smoothies are an easy way to increase fruit and vegetable consumption. Choose your favorites, or try something new.  Create your own recipes by choosing fruits, vegetables, milk, nut butters, and even spices like ginger, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper.  Share your favorite with me!

Super Strawberry Smoothie

Print

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk almond milk for low FODMAP
• 1 cup Greek strawberry yogurt almond yogurt for low FODMAP
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 cups frozen strawberries

Instructions

1. Layer the blender, beginning with the milk and go down the list, ending with the strawberries. Cover the blender and blend until smooth.   For a thinner smoothie, add a bit more milk.

Recipe Notes

Load the blender from softest ingredients to hardest ingredients for a smooth blend. Use almond/coconut/rice/soy/cow's milk for a protein boost instead of water. Use some frozen fruit in place of ice cubes for an extra fruit serving and a cold smoothie. Store leftover smoothies (if you have any!!) in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

The Great Green Smoothie

Print

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk (almond or rice for low-FODMAP)
• 2 cups baby spinach
• 1 tbsp nut butter
• 1 frozen banana

Instructions

1. Load all ingredients into the blender, beginning with the milk and ending with the banana. Blend until smooth and you will have a healthy and nutritious meal or snack in minutes!

Recipe Notes

• Load the blender from softest ingredients to hardest ingredients for a smooth blend.
• Use almond/coconut/rice/soy/cow’s milk for a protein boost instead of water.
• Use some frozen fruit in place of ice cubes for an extra fruit serving and a cold smoothie.
• Store leftover smoothies (if you have any!!) in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.