Fruit and Veggie Smoothies For Kids

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Fruit and veggie smoothies for kids that have been tried and tested by my kids. Drinking veggies is not a bad idea, particularly for picky kids, well for anyone really.

Now that we know we should be aiming for 8-10 servings of fruit and veggies (mainly veggies) in a day, I think having them in a smoothie is not a bad idea.

Now that we know we should be aiming for 8-10 servings of fruit and veggies (mainly veggies) in a day, I think having them in a smoothie is not a bad idea.

When it comes to smoothies for kids, and for anyone for that matter, I think we should be mindful of portion size.

Smoothies can be quite a concentrated source of energy, which isn't necessarily a problem if we think about them as a meal or snack, but if we just drink them alongside our full meals we could be inadvertently taking in quite a bit of extra energy. 

For kids this may not be a problem if they are burning it all off, but I am sure you can see where I am coming from.

Water is still going to be the best bet for kids drinks for hydration, but smoothies can be a great healthy snack, that just happens to be a drink!

Tips for making fruit and veggie smoothies for kids

If your kids are new to smoothies and wary of veggies then I would suggest the following to start with

  1. Steam the veggies first. You can certainly use raw veggies but you will get a much smoother texture is veggies such as broccoli, carrot, cauliflower are steamed first. So if you have a picky eater and you are making them their first fruit and veggie smoothie, think about steaming the veggies. It doesn't need to necessarily be an extra step. I just save cooked veggies from the evening meal to use over the coming days
  2. A small amount of sweetener may help. My kiddos drink these smoothies without added sugar/sweeteners, if your kiddo needs a little more encouragement, a small amount of honey, maple syrup or some dried fruit like a couple of dates may go a long way to help get them drinking smoothies with veggies to begin with, once they are drinking them, you can remove the sweetener.
  3. Try fun names, it might just work, maybe, I'm not sure, I've had mixed results. Ha Ha Ha!
  4. You can get great opaque smoothie cups, ie cups that you can't see through with nice thick straws. If your kid is a bit weary of the colour of the smoothie, try one of those cups, then they won't be able to see it, they will just taste it and hopefully be none the wiser of the veggies content. As they get more confident with the veggie content you can pop it in a clear cup
  5. The little glass bottles I have served mine in, are not just for the photos, we actually use them every time we have smoothies, they are cheap (around $1 from places like Kmart) and they make the drink a little more special. They are also less likely to spill than an open cup. The bottles are pretty robust, we have dropped them loads and have yet to break one.

 

Fruit and Veggie Smoothie Combinations for Kids

I am not calling these recipes, as I am not giving exact ratios of ingredients. Because I don't know about you but I don't really measure things when I'm making smoothies.

I try to add around about the same amount of veggies as I do fruit, but I fully admit this isn't always the case.  I usually add some nuts to most of my smoothies as my kids have them as a snack or part of a meal, so I like adding a bit of healthy fat in there as well and it just keeps the smoothie a little more balanced. But that is just me.

Start by watching the quick recipe video

 

A basic banana smoothie with a veggie twist

Kids love banana smoothies I think it is one of the easiest smoothies to get them into, this one has a veggie added to it as well.

The combination is : Banana + Rolled Oats + Yoghurt +Peanut Butter + Vanilla + Milk + Cauliflower. You could also add cinnamon or honey to this smoothie.

Our favourite green smoothie for kids

Green smoothies are all the rage, I have had some disasters with green smoothies and kids. Words for the wise, watercress is not a good idea, way too peppery. But this green smoothie combination is one my kids do enjoy. Banana + Mango + Spinach + Almonds +Water

When I make this smoothie I use either fresh or frozen Spinach and Mango, so you can have it all year round. This smoothie works well with a couple of dates added to is if your kiddos need a little bit more sweetness.

A green smoothie that is not green

Berries are so strongly coloured that they can easily hide green if needed.

My combination is: Blueberries + Strawberries + Broccoli + Cucumber + Vanilla + Plain Yoghurt + Milk.

Depending on the sweetness of the berries you can add some honey or maple syrup to this smoothie if needed. Steam the broccoli if your kids are new to smoothies with veggies

Orange smoothie for kids

This smoothie looks quite orange juice like, so can win kids over.

The combination Orange + Mango + Pineapple +Carrot + Cashews + Courgette/Zucchini.

My trick for the courgette/zucchini is to peel it, this takes away the green factor, and means the courgette just adds creaminess to the mix.

I hope your kids enjoy these smoothies like my kids do. If you are looking for other sneaky veggie recipes, my favourites are My Healthy Macaroni & Cheese with Vegetables and my Cauliflower Cheese Egg Muffins

 

Fruit and veggie smoothies for kids, healthy and easy, perfect for picky eaters

 

 

 

 

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4 Comments

  1. My daughter is Autistic and refuses most, almost all foods. I would love to get some more ideas because she will drink shakes.

      1. Please do!! 🙂 my brain can't cope without ratios or weights or measurements of some kind, haha. Maybe, if you want to keep it loose-ish you could give the recipe in 'parts'?