My first job was actually at a smoothie shop inside a gym. As part of my duties, I was supposed to come up with new flavors to offer as "specials" each week.
Tough job, to be sure! I mean, blending up any combinations I want and being paid to "test" them?
Twist my arm.
So I learned a bit about what makes smoothies tastes amazing and why some come out meh, and I'm going to share that with you, along with tips on how to help children accept and enjoy them so you can get them powerful nutrients each day, plus a shortcut if you don't have the time for this!
I am going to share two kid-friendly favorites with you (keep reading!).
I don't know about your children, but if I offer mine a spoonful of cod liver oil, they're gonna give me a big "no thanks!"
But if I offer them an icy, creamy Blueberry Chocolate smoothie, well. That's a different story!
This is why I capital L, LOVE smoothies for children.
It's easy to sneak targeted supplements into them without them noticing.
You can maximize their power by choosing nutritionally dense food ingredients, as well.
I'll share some of my tips for making smoothies taste juice-shop level yummy, so keep reading!
Here is why I love making smoothies for children.
1. They're easily accepted by picky palates and so convenient!
2. You get to control the wholesome ingredients and choose nourishing ones
3. They can be packed according to individual needs (ex: extra protein, extra vitamin c, no dairy)
4. They look and taste like a frosty treat.
5. You can sneak things in there that children (or you!) wouldn't eat otherwise.
It's super simple to sneak veggies into smoothies, and if you pair them right, nobody will ever know.
Fail-proof healthy veggie pairings:
Carrots : Citrus , Apple
Greens : Berries; Chocolate
Cauliflower: Chocolate, Coconut
Beets: Berries, Citrus
Use the pairings above to blend your smoothies and seamlessly hide the veggies inside!
Keep reading for my list of delicious and healthy milk / juice blend-ins.
PB&J Smoothie
1/4 of a raw beet, peeled and chopped
1 cup mixed frozen berries
1/2 frozen banana
2 T almond butter
1/2 T ground cinnamon
8-10 oz milk of choice
*BONUS: Add some cleansing + multi vitamin/mineral support with Balance Complete*
Tropic Thunder Smoothie
1 cup diced pineapple
1/2 raw carrot
1 frozen banana
juice of 1 fresh squeezed orange
1/4 T pure vanilla extract
1 T cinnamon
8 -10 oz coconut water
*BONUS: Add some cleansing + multi vitamin/mineral support with Balance Complete*
Tip: You can substitute steamed veggies for raw ones in smoothies. It's a great way to use leftover steamed carrots of broccoli and it makes them even more indistinguishable to little taste buds!
What about something a little more advanced? You can serve your children a "hulk" or "pj mask" or whatever you choose green smoothie created by one of my favorite Master Herbalists and Aromatherapists to learn from, Debra Starkey.
According to Debra:
"{This smoothie is] Great tasting, fresh food based available at any supermarket, packed with powerful nutrients (595 grams calcium, 1105mg potassium, 18865 Vitamin A IU, 4.47grams protein, 17mg Vitamin C, .13grams omega 3, 10.90 grams fiber to name a few, plus a multitude of other vitamins and minerals and phyto-nutrients), this smoothie may be enjoyed morning, noon or night. And that’s before you add either a couple capsules of MultiGreen or a scoop of JuvaPower to really amp it up a notch. Kids and adults love its smooth texture and delicious taste.
In a blender (I use a VitaMix) combine 2 tablespoons each of flax seeds, chia seeds, and sesame seeds. Blend a few seconds until a flour consistency. Add one cup cold water, one cup ice, one large hand full spinach; 2 stalks of kale - use the leaf part only, no stalk (one cup each if compressed), 1/2 avocado if large or one whole - peeled and pitted of course, one small orange peeled and cut into quarters. Whiz until smooth and enjoy, may add additional water if too thick. You can substitute a banana or a few berries instead of the orange, BUT - do not turn this into a fruit smoothie. This is not a “drink” but a smoothie and enjoyed more when a little thick.
When I had my consulting office and people made and drank this smoothie, testimonies would come in within a week. It is truly the most amazing and inexpensive smoothie ever. I often have this in the morning and it is very filling, so much so I don’t need lunch; or I’ll have it for dinner."
I've tried it, and it's delicious!
You can listen to Debra teach "Nutrition Tips for the Family" here in this video.
Like Debra, I usually enjoy coming up with new recipes in the kitchen.
But also, sometimes I just don't have the time or desire to do the "work" involved with prepping, measuring, getting out multiple ingredients and putting them back....
And that's where Revive Superfoods has really helped me.
Their smoothies are made the way I would make them- smart superfoods blended into yummy familiar fruits to make smoothies that taste like a treat but are so healthy and nutritious!
They're beyond easy because they:
1. Come in their serving cup (no mess!)
2. Taste incredible
3. Are clean and vegan
4. Fun for me and my children
It's a piece of cake for me to make these on a busy morning and get everyone out the door (complete with a lidded up!) with nourishing food in their bellies.
We've successfully dodged hangry days using our Revive smoothie stash!
They've given me a special offer for my community (that's you!) of 50% off your first box.
Totally a steal!
And, they're already packed with "sneaky" ingredients the way I would myself - with just the right amount of veggies and plant extras to add nutrients without making it taste funny.
All you add yourself is the liquid, of which there are many options.
When making homemade smoothies or blending up a Revive smoothie, I like to choose something really nutritious as the blending liquid.
Top 3 Favorite healthy smoothie liquids:
Coconut Milk
2 oz Ningxia Red + Water
Balance Complete + Water
Raw Milk
Read more about the benefits of raw milk at the Real Milk website
Other tasty and healthy smoothie liquids:
Cashew Milk
Oat Milk
Almond Milk
Green Juice (I like Suja myself, but skip this for the kids...they will definitely notice!)
And when I want to give an extra boost of power my super smoothies, I add Balance Complete.
It has a creamy, vanilla ice cream taste that everyone in our family loves, and it blends well with literally any smoothie recipe.
Alone it's actually a meal replacement with fiber and cleansing properties.
I try to give it to my children a couple times a week to make sure they're getting "holes" filled!
It is a nutritive energizer and a cleanser.
Its high in fiber, high in protein, and contains the good fats, enzymes, vitamins, and minerals needed for a nutritionally complete meal replacement, and it supplies an amazing 11 grams of fiber per serving, absorbs toxins, and satisfies the appetite while balancing the body's essential requirements.
It also blends suuuuuper smooth with zero grit. Literally is just disappears!
For daily health maintenance, replace your least nutritious meal with Balance Complete or a smoothie with Balance Complete in it!
During Young Living's five-day nutritive cleanse, you replace your three daily meals with Balance Complete and follow the recommended schedule. But this can be used anytime as a healthy and gentle way to infuse deep nutrition into your body and give a gentle cleansing nudge.
Smoothie best practices:
- When adding "hard" ingredients like nuts or tough veggies, grind them alone in the blender first as fine as you can, then add a minimal amount of liquid to blend into a paste, then add the rest of the ingredients.
- Pair the "right" flavors together! Use one of the recipes here, create one using my veggie pairings above, or grab a revive smoothie to go. In general, less is more- the less flavors you combine, the better your outcome is likely to be.
- Use a good blender. Nobody wants to chew their smoothie. Juice shops have that smooth, almost fluffy consistency and that's what you want for maximum palatability! There are some very fancy ones out there, but for an excellent low/mid-priced one I absolutely love, check out this one.
- Use enough liquid (but don't use too much). Use just enough liquid to get things flowing, but not so much you lose the friction needed inside the blender to get it smooth. You can always add more liquid, but you can't take it out.
I hope this write up helps you go forward and make deeply nourishing, easy smoothie meals for yourself and your children.
Let me know what you make, and if you have a great recipe, will you share it with me? I love learning new ones!
Resources
Get some Balance Complete
Order some Revive Smoothies (55% off!)
Learn more about Cleansing
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