A few years ago a friend of mine said to his young son, in a bid to get him to eat a healthy meal, that they were eating "adventure food".
A couple of weeks later, they were about to start a particularly healthy-looking dinner, and his son looked up and said: “Dad, are we eating adventure food?”
“We sure are,” he responded. Mission accomplished.
Parents have long employed creative solutions to get their children to eat healthily. Smoothies are a favourite for this. This your guide to everything about smoothies for kids, including why they're great, how to make perfect ones, and our favourites kid's smoothie recipes.
So let’s embark on a smoothie adventure…
Why smoothies for kids?
Good smoothies are made up of the fruits and vegetables that every kid desperately needs. They're packed with crucial nutrients: Calcium, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and more.
But why blend them? For kids, optics are everything. Take a summer salad for example. What we may view as a delicious plate of greens, most kids will see as a giant helping of "yuck".
How you see a summer salad
How your kid sees a summer salad
Smoothies change all that.
Since those funky looking health foods are blended up, all that matters is the taste and colour. And with the right expertise, you can make even the healthiest of smoothies taste and look delicious.
Tips for making kid friendly smoothies
Start with a base of foods you know your kids already like. This is especially useful if you’re struggling to get buy in, and then get more adventurous as you go, adding more nutritious ingredients that may not usually form part of their diet.
Get your kids involved in the process. Children often love to help out with their parent, albeit briefly before their fleeting attention is grabbed by something else! But fear not—smoothies are so quick to make they’ll likely be able to hang around the whole time. Moreover, blending food looks really cool.
Treat your smoothie flavours like Gatorade flavours - nobody really Gatorade flavours by the name of their labels, "Ice Storm" or "Frost". They just say "the red one, or "the blue one". Do the same with the smoothies you make at home.
If drinking isn’t the desired form of ingestion, freeze these beauties to make popsicles. What kid doesn’t like popsicles? Especially in the summer months.
If 'smoothie' doesn't work, convert it to a shake. Yogurts, avocado, nut butters, and milks can give your recipe a creamier, milkshake-like texture while adding nutritious healthy fats.
Top Smoothie Recipes for Kids
So, without further ado, let’s dive into some recipes:
Orange Delight
- ½ cup Greek yogurt,
- 1 banana
- 1 cup frozen raspberries,
- 1 handful baby kale or spinach,
- 1/2 cup 100% pure Tropicana
The Rocky
- 3 ice cubes
- 1/2 banana
- 1/2 cup mixed berries
- 1 cup calcium-fortified orange juice and
- 1/4 cup pasteurized egg whites.
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
Red Ranger
- 1 cup seedless red grapes
- 2 blood oranges, peeled
- 1 cup frozen or fresh raspberries
- 1 pomegranate (seeds only)
- 1 cup very cold water
- 1 tsp honey
And if you don't have the time to shop and prepare these smoothies yourself, you can always order The Good Stuff - we'll deliver the perfect smoothie recipes right to your door.