Does your child scrunch his nose at the sight of fresh fruits and vegetables? No matter how nutritious, tasty, and colourful they are, it can often be challenging to get kids to eat fruits and veggies. In such cases, a smoothie made with raw vegetables or raw fruits and dairy products like milk and yoghurt can be a good idea. Smoothies are filling, yummy and extremely nutritious. These can keep him full for hours and supply energy, vitamins, and minerals. However, make sure your child eats whole fruits and veggies too, as they contain more fibre.
The kid-friendly smoothie recipes discussed in this article are simple and easy to make. They can be served along with breakfast or enjoyed as evening snacks. Also, homemade smoothies made with fresh fruits and vegetables are better than packaged smoothies that might contain added sugar. So, check out these kid-friendly smoothie ideas to get started:
- Spinach fruit smoothie: Even if your kids hate eating spinach, you can use this recipe to mask its flavours by adding apples, bananas and so on. Yoghurt, which is a good source of probiotics, is also used in this recipe. All the other ingredients contain prebiotics, making this smoothie a good blend that helps maintain gut health in your kids. To make this healthy smoothie for kids, slice the peeled bananas and remove the seeds of the grapes. Chop the apples. Put the bananas, chopped spinach leaves, grapes, yoghurt and apple in a blender, and blend for two minutes, or until you get a smooth texture. Serve fresh.
- Papaya smoothie: Papaya is a rich source of vitamin A, potassium, calcium and magnesium. It also has an abundance of fibre and antioxidants. Peel the papaya and dice it. Add papaya, pineapple, coconut extract, flaxseed and ice to a blender and blend until the mixture is smooth. Serve fresh and garnish with a pineapple slice.
- Creamy date smoothie: Dates are naturally sweet, low in sodium and rich in fibre. They also have lots of nutrients like potassium, magnesium, and zinc, along with vitamins A, K, riboflavin, folate, thiamin, and niacin. Blend the dates and milk to get a smooth mixture. You can even add crushed ice and blend it for a few more seconds and serve fresh and cool.
- Green grape smoothie: Grapes are a good source of vitamin C and antioxidants. The sweet and tangy taste of grapes makes them appealing to kids and adults both. Wash spinach and grapes and remove the latter’s seeds if any. Slice a frozen banana. Blend all the ingredients to get a smooth consistency and serve in a tall glass.
- Banana smoothie: This is one of the simplest smoothies that you can make. Bananas are rich in potassium and vitamin C. You can add cinnamon powder too, as it has lots of antioxidants and many other bioactive compounds that are anti inflammatory. First blend banana and milk until all of it is mashed. Add brown sugar and water and blend it again. Add ice if you need, and top it all with cinnamon powder and serve. If you want a dairy-free smoothie, you can use almond or soy milk instead of regular milk. You can add almond butter too, to make it one of the best protein smoothies for kids.
- Strawberry smoothie: A blend of strawberries and yoghurt can make for a delicious smoothie. If you are using frozen strawberries then thaw them. Add the berries, milk, sugar and vanilla essence to the blender and blend till it’s all smooth and frothy. Add ice and blend further if you want a cool drink.
- Kiwi apple smoothie: Apple is a fibre-rich fruit and kiwis are rich in vitamin E, C, potassium and folate. Blend chopped apples, bananas, kiwis and chia seeds to get a smooth consistency. Serve fresh and garnish with kiwi slices.
- Pumpkin banana smoothie: Many kids dislike pumpkin when you serve it as a curry. So, the best way to include this vegetable in your kid’s diet is by making a smoothie. Scoop out the seeds of the pumpkin, make a puree from the pulp, and freeze it overnight for about 8 hours. Take it out from the fridge the next day and bring it to room temperature. Add pumpkin puree, milk, sliced banana, vanilla extract, and cinnamon to a blender and blend well to get a creamy consistency. Serve in a tall glass.
Smoothies are a very innovative and tasty way of including more fruits and vegetables in your kid’s diet. Especially if your kid is a fussy eater, smoothies can bridge the nutrition gap well. However, it is important to keep the smoothies healthy by avoiding any artificial colours and sweeteners.
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