I’m a busy mom with three kids, and just like every other parent in the world, I stress sometimes about getting enough fruits and vegetables into my kids. Some days it feels like too much work to even bother, mostly because I’m not really interested in having the same negotiation I’ve had for almost 13 years now. I can’t tell you how many times in just the last month I’ve answered the question, “Mom what can I eeeeeeeat?” with, “How about something that required photosynthesis to end up in the fridge!”
Juicing is a popular solution to this problem, but it has several disadvantages: it’s expensive (since so much of the ingredient is left behind in the discarded pulp), it’s not a great source of protein and it doesn’t keep tummies full.
Why Smoothies?
I’ve found that smoothies are an easy way to get a whole bunch of fruits and veggies into a kid in a hurry. They also take well to the addition of protein (such as yogurt) and all you need to get going is a blender and a bunch of food. Recipes are helpful to get you started, but eventually you’ll find what your family likes and start banging out glass after glass of plant matter that’ll make the kids happy and leave you feeling relieved.
Below are three of my favorite smoothie recipes. The first is one I made up for my daughter (Thing 3) and the other two are recipes I found on nourishingmeals.com. All three earn Guiding Stars, so you can be sure that along with being high in nutrients and fiber, they’re low in sugar.
Enjoy!