Kid-Approved Green Smoothie
Think your kid won’t drink a green smoothie made with kale? Before you answer that question, give this recipe a try. You may very well find that you have some green smoothie lovers in your family after all!
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School Health Fair
Last week I was fortunate enough to be part of the health fair at a local elementary school. And since last year’s smoothie sampling was such a hit, I decided to do it again. Only this time I offered not just a pink berry smoothie, but also a non-dairy green smoothie. Let’s be clear here: it was a super-duper-kid-friendly green smoothie.
The Verdict?
Still, it was green, and I was skeptical about whether or not the kids would even try it. But low and behold they did! There was usually at least one or two adventurous tasters in every group, who quickly reached for the little dixie-cup sample, and once they tasted it and gave their overwhelming approval, the other kids followed. Here were some of the comments I heard:
“This is so good!”
“You can’t taste the kale.”
“My mom makes kale smoothies.”
“Can I have another one?”
A Simple Green Smoothie
I came across this recipe while researching simple green smoothie ideas for this fair. I had initially planned to make a kale smoothie with fresh pineapple but soon realized that with 300 kids coming through, this was too ambitious. I needed something simple that could be prepped ahead of time and ready to add to the blender.
Apple + Kale
This recipe calls for apple juice. While I don’t usually recommend juice for kids, if it gets them to try and like a drink with kale, it’s a positive. Plus, this recipe calls for 12 ounces of juice to make 4 servings – that’s only 3 ounces of juice per serving. I actually like to serve kids even smaller portions, so for me, this recipe made 8 kid servings.
Make Your Own Green Smoothie
The best part of anything you make at home is that you can adjust it to your liking and needs. So you may start by following this recipe, but then gradually cut back on the apple juice and instead use fresh apples and water. Fresh mango, pears, peaches, and pineapple would all work well in this recipe too! (Just skip the red berries as they may turn the smoothie a brown hue). You could also make it creamy by adding almond milk or plain kefir instead of the juice.
High Powered Blender
Using a high-powered blender, such as a Vitamix, Blendtec, or Ninja, for this smoothie is essential to making the. These blenders are pricey, but if they get your family to eat more fruits and veggies they can be a worthwhile investment in my opinion. I have had a Vitamix for almost 10 years now and love it!
For more tips on how to get your kids drinking veggie-filled smoothies, check out this article: “How to Make a Vegetable Smoothie Your Kids Will Love” from easyhealthysmoothie.com. Also, be sure to check out my smoothie guide here!
- 12 ounces 100% apple juice (or try 2 cored and peeled apples and 8 ounces water)
- 3 large kale leaves, stems removed
- 3 frozen bananas
- Place all ingredients in a high-powered blender and puree until smooth.
Tip: Bananas are key to many good smoothies. Chop bananas into halves or thirds and freeze in a resealable bag. Keep on hand and be smoothie-ready at all times!
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