Pleasing children with food which is both visually appealing and nutritious can be a difficult job. Growing children need lots of nutrients to keep them going and healthy. Busy working families or a single parent can have a hard time in giving their children the necessary nutrition on regular bases. In such cases, smoothies are one of the best options available. They not only provide with essential nutrients but are affordable, easy and fast to make. They can also be served as tasty treats in between meals. Fruit smoothies can be both nutritious and tasty. You can choose for the two approaches while making an easy and nutritious smoothie. One, making a low sugar but healthy smoothie and two, a “green smoothie” making a smoothie which has concentrated levels of nutrients. A green smoothie usually consists of green vegetables that your child dislikes. The taste and color of these greens can be easily masked by adding his/her favorite fruits. Here are 11 smoothies that are easy to make and are loved by children.
Fruit smoothie with flax (serves one)
Ingredients you will require are: 1 tbsp sugar, a scoop of flax blaster, 1 tbsp honey, 4-5 fresh strawberries, 1 cup fresh orange juice and a few ice-cubes.
First, wash and chop the strawberries. Now in a blender or a smoothie maker add the chopped strawberries, sugar, flax blaster, honey, orange juice and ice-cubes. Blend until the mixture is smooth.
Serve immediately with a sprinkling of coarsely ground flax seeds. You can even add in extra chopped strawberries if desired. This super nutritious smoothie is rich in omega 3 fatty acids, fiber and proteins from flax seeds. It also contains vitamin A, C, E, K and antioxidants from orange juice and strawberries.
However, children suffering from narrowed esophagus, inflamed bowel or bowel obstruction should not consume flax seeds as they are very high in fiber.
Banana ferry smoothie (serves one)
Ingredients you will require are: two fresh ripe bananas, ½ cup vanilla yogurt, ½ a cup of fresh orange juice, one can pineapple juice and a few ice-cubes. You can add a tbsp of sugar if desired.
First peal and roughly chop the bananas. Place them in a blender. Now, with the bananas add orange juice, vanilla yogurt, pineapple juice and ice cubes. Blend all the ingredients for 25-30 seconds or till the mixture becomes smooth. Serve immediately.
This smoothie is loaded with minerals like zinc, iron, calcium, copper, etc. and vitamin B1 and B2, A, C, E and K. Yogurt offers vitamin D and calcium. This smoothie has loads of antioxidants as well.
Tropical Hawaiian smoothie (serves one)
Ingredients you will require are: 5-6 fresh strawberries, a cup of milk, 1-2 slices of fresh or canned pineapple, a slice of watermelon with seeds removed, 1 tbsp of pina coloda mix, ¼ cup sugar and about 9-10 ice-cubes.
Chop the strawberries, watermelon and pineapple and add into a blender. Add rest of the ingredients and blend together for 2 minutes with intervals of 3 seconds and till the ice-cubes have blended. Serve immediately. The fruits in this smoothie are rich sources of vitamins A and C as well as essential minerals. You can use honey in place of sugar to make this smoothie even healthier.
Yummy green smoothie (serves one)
The ingredients you will require are: 2 to 3 cups of pineapple juice, 1 medium ripe banana, 2 to 3 cups of wild berries (fresh or frozen), 3 handfuls of fresh and thoroughly washed spinach, ½ tsp of organic green stevia and 4 to 5 ice-cubes.
Peel and chop bananas. Wash and chop the spinach. Add to the blender all the ingredients and blend for 35 to 45 minutes. Blend for a few more seconds for a smoother consistency and creaminess. Spinach is a good source of dietary iron and calcium and fruits in this smoothie provide with essential vitamins. You can even use blanched spinach if desired. The organic green stevia is rich in photochemical. It is also high in anti-cancer enzymes and is a rich source of antioxidants. This green smoothie is not only attractive due to its bright green color but carries loads of nutrients for you child’s health.
Berry fruity smoothie (serves one)
Ingredients you will require are: 5-6 raspberries, 5-6 blue berries, one medium ripe banana, one cup yogurt live or flavored and a cup of milk. You can add sugar or honey for extra sweetness.
Peel and chop the banana. Put all the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth and thick. Serve and enjoy this smoothie immediately. Blue berries are known for their high content of vitamins A, C, E and K. They also consist of minerals. Raspberries too are a good source for vitamins and minerals. This smoothie adds a fruity punch with the richness of milk and yogurt.
Nutty and chocolaty banana smoothie (serves one)
Ingredients you will require are: 7 to 8 large strawberries, 2 medium ripe bananas, a cup of milk, a cup of vanilla yogurt (fat free), 3 chopped almonds, 3 chopped walnuts, 1 ½ cups of chocolate syrup and ice-cubes optional.
Peal and dice bananas. Chop the strawberries. Place the fruits and rest of the ingredient in a blender. Blend for half a minute. Pour the smoothie in a glass and sprinkle with finely chopped nuts. Serve immediately. This sumptuous smoothie is loaded with vitamins, minerals, protein, fiber and antioxidants. However, children with allergies to nuts should exclude nuts from this recipe.
Very berry smoothie (serves one)
Ingredients you will require are: 2 cups of strawberries, ½ a cup of raspberries, 1 cup of blackberries all fresh or frozen, one cup fresh live yogurt (flavored yogurt optional), ½ a cup of sugar, ½ a cup of milk and 20 ice-cubes.
If using fresh berries, thoroughly wash and chop them. Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend till a smooth and thick consistency is achieved. Pour in a glass of choice and serve immediately.
This smoothie recipe is ideal for children as it is loaded with vitamins and antioxidants that are found in berries. Its colors too make this smoothie attractive for children. Using live yogurt has various benefits including improved digestion. Yogurt is also a good source of calcium and Vitamin D.
Peach and strawberry smoothie (serves one)
Ingredients you will require are: 1 ½ cups vanilla yogurt (fat free), 1 cup of vanilla ice cream (fat free), a cup of milk, 4-5 large strawberries, 6-7 maraschino cherries, ½ a cup of canned peaches and 1 tbsp honey for garnish.
Place all the above ingredients in a blender. Blend all the ingredients for half a minute or till you have a smooth and creamy consistency. Pour in a glass of choice and garnish with honey.
Peaches are high in potassium, vitamins A and C. Using low fat yogurt and ice cream cuts on the fat content making this smoothie healthy and nutritious.
Papaya nut smoothie (serves one)
Ingredients you will require are: 1 ½ cups of cubed fresh papaya, a cup of vanilla yogurt, a cup of milk, ½ cup of chopped walnuts or pistachio nuts. You can use ice-cubes and sugar if desired.
Blend the chopped papaya, milk, yogurt and nuts to a smooth and creamy consistency. You can add ice-cubes and sugar if desired while blending. Serve immediately.
Only a cup of fresh papaya consists of 0.85 grams protein and 2.5 grams of dietary fiber. Papaya is also rich in folate, potassium, vitamins A, B1, B2 and C.
Butterscotch banana delight smoothie (serves one)
Ingredients you will require are: a cup of milk, 2 medium ripe bananas, 3-4 cashew nuts, 2-4 tbsp of butterscotch syrup, 1 tbsp sugar and 4-5 ice-cubes. Honey for garnish, optional.
First peel and dice the bananas. Place all the ingredients in a blender or a smoothie maker and blend for about 45-50 seconds or till the bananas have blended properly. Pour the smoothie in a glass of choice and drizzle with honey. Consume immediately. Bananas have a tendency of turning black if left open, hence smoothies with bananas should be consumed as soon as they are made.
Bananas are said to be a meal in itself. They are loaded with minerals like, calcium, iron, potassium and zinc. They also are a great source of vitamins like vitamin A, B1, B2, B6 and C. A medium sized banana consists of 1.29 grams protein, about 3.1 grams of dietary fiber and 105 calories. This smoothie is ideal for breakfast or as an evening snack before dinner.
Papaya peach smoothie (serves one)
Ingredients you will require are: 3 cups of orange juice (fresh or canned organic), 2-3 cups of fresh cubed papaya, 1 medium peach sliced, a cup of yogurt for creaminess, and 4-5 ice-cubes (optional).
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend for 35-45 seconds. For extra creaminess, blend for another 20-30 seconds. Serve immediately. Papaya and peaches are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals. They also consist of dietary fiber.
Children allergic to nuts or a certain fruit must avoid consuming them. You can replace the fruits and avoid any nuts in you smoothie. Avoid replacing citrus fruits with smoothie recipes containing milk.