Making a smoothie is one of the easiest ways to get extra fruits and vegetables into your day and the best thing is, kids love them. If you’re a parent who is worried about your kid not eating enough healthy foods, try a smoothie. Making them together is also a great way to spend time with your kids. To help you make a slammingly nutritious smoothie, I’ve put together 5 tips for a delicious and healthy smoothie.
For a delicious and healthy smoothie…
- Sometimes it’s just “a little of this, a little of that…” get creative with what’s around your kitchen and in your fridge and you can’t go wrong.
- Try adding something green to your smoothie like spinach, kale, cucumbers or even broccoli. The kids won’t taste it but they get all the benefits.
- Add some oatmeal, flax seed, chia seeds or whatever you have on hand for a little extra boost of grains and healthy fats.
- Bananas and avocados make a great, thick smoothie base and avocados add a little fat too!
- Most important: Always add some protein and fat. Yogurt, nut butters and seed butters are great ways to check both those boxes. If I only have fat-free yogurt on hand, I definitely add some peanut or almond butter to get the fat.
This last last tip is my key tip because it really should be be incorporated into all smoothies. Fat and protein are essential to keep you feeling fuller for longer and keep away those blood sugar spikes and crashes. I explain more about the importance of fat and protein in smoothies, and really all snacks, treats and meals in this post.
I love making smoothies so much that I make them almost every morning for myself and my family. We love to sit and relax while we drink them because gives us a nice mid-morning break from our WFH/home-schooling environment. Now that it’s summer we enjoy sipping a cold smoothie and enjoying our outdoor space. Check out our latest go-to smoothie, Peanut Butter Banana Berry – 3 year-old approved!
Tell me more…
I’d love to hear some of your tips for a great smoothie. Feel free to leave a comment and keep me posted!
2 Comments
Add Protein and Fat to Your Smoothie - Deborah Olarte, MS RD
July 9, 2020 at 4:56 am[…] I’ve broken down what happens after we drink fruit smoothies compared with smoothies balanced with protein and fat below. It’s an important tip in smoothie making for our bodies and also our mental capacity. You can also check out my other tips for making a nutritious and delicious smoothie. […]
Treat vs. Snack - Deborah Olarte, MS RD
August 3, 2020 at 10:42 am[…] throughout the day. Instead of giving our kids cookies during that 4PM lull, we could try making a smoothie with them. Start with once a week and work your way up til it becomes a routine healthy […]