Preparing Healthy Bestseller Smoothies for Kids

Sometimes children can be so picky mothers find themselves at a loss as to how to get them eat. If you yourself are in this position, be consoled by the fact that most kids will drink a smoothie with gusto. All you need is a few tips on how to prepare surefire bestseller smoothies for kids.

What to Put in Smoothies for Kids

In terms of nutrition, you want to avoid putting too much fat and sugar into your children’s smoothies. What you do want to include is as much of their daily requirement of calcium, protein and some healthy carbohydrates. In order to accomplish this, you can use yoghurt as the base of your smoothie and put fruit in. To make sure your child gets protein in his or her smoothie, you can use yoghurt, skim milk, soya milk or almond milk. You may even want to include some commercially prepared breakfast mix with vitamins and minerals to enrich you smoothie.

You can use fruits or frozen juice for vitamin C in your children’s smoothies. Here’s a deep, dark secret: you can also smuggle in some veggies in the process. Carrots and beets are easy to smuggle into a strawberry or cranberry smoothie so that apart from anti-oxidants, the beverage has a good dose of magnesium and potassium. When you use fruits in smoothies, include the skin when this is edible to supply fiber.

Inviting Your Child to be Part of the Process

It is even easier to get children to take smoothies when you let them to take part of the preparations. Allow them to pick the fruit and the juice you will be using. If they are old enough, let them put the ingredients into the blender or pour the smoothie into glasses. Ask them after if they think you should add more fruit or juice or milk. These simple acts will make the food more attractive to them.

A Few Foolproof Recipes

To start you off on your smoothie path, here are some simple recipes you can try. The ingredients for each smoothie are different but the procedure is the same for all three. Revise them according to what is available in your market then go ahead and have fun.

Golden Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 1 cup peach or apricot or mango or pineapple (combinations are fine)
• 1/2 cup carrot
• 1/2 cup nonfat yoghurt
• 1/2 cup crushed ice
• 1/2 almond milk (nonfat milk is also fine)
• 1 tablespoon light colored honey (optional)
• 1 teaspoon protein powder
• 2 drops vanilla

Strawberry Smoothie

• 1 cup strawberry
• 1/2 cup cooked beets
• 1/2 to 1 cup banana
• 1 cup nonfat yoghurt
• 1/2 cup crushed ice
• 1/2 almond milk (nonfat milk is also fine)
• 1 tablespoon light colored honey (optional)
• 1 teaspoon protein powder
• 2 drops vanilla

Chocolate Smoothie

• 1/2 to 1 cup chocolate syrup
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter (omit if your child is allergic)
• 1 banana
• 1/2 cup steamed and drained spinach
• 1 cup nonfat yoghurt
• 1/2 cup crushed ice
• 1/2 - 1 cup almond milk (nonfat milk is also fine)
• 1 tablespoon light colored honey (optional)
• 1 teaspoon protein powder
• 2 drops vanilla

Procedure for all three:

Peel and cut fruit into small pieces. Put all ingredients together and blend till smooth. Serve with a straw.

Perhaps the only caveat for smoothies is that they could encourage children to develop a palate more attuned to sweet rather than savory foods so it is good to give children opportunities to sample other foods as well. As a rule though, because kids love smoothies, you can make these a regular treat especially for those who are hard to feed. Smoothies for kids present parents with a fun and delicious strategy to ensure that children get the nutrition they need.