Healthy Snacks for Kids: Smoothies

By: Vanessa Greaves

Send a few simple ingredients for a wild ride in your blender and you'll have delicious, nutritious, kid-pleasing smoothies in mere seconds.

What We Love About Smoothies

They taste as bright and pretty as they look.
They're a great way to sneak more fiber and antioxidants into your kids. (But all they’ll care about is the taste.)
They don't require a lot of fussy ingredients.
They give new life to overripe fruit.
They can be easily tailored to suit individual needs.
Even kids with dairy allergies can enjoy fabulous fruit or vegetable smoothies.
They're a great DIY snack for older kids; younger operators will require adult supervision.

Some smoothie recipes call for ice cubes; try frozen fruit instead.
Peel and cut up bananas into 1-inch pieces prior to freezing.
To freeze fresh berries, spread a single layer on a jellyroll pan, freeze the fruit, and store in resealable freezer bags.
Add yogurt, milk, flax seeds, silken tofu, wheat germ, or protein powder to the blender for an extra hit of nutrition.
If a smoothie recipe calls for sugar, try it first without the added sweetener. You really might not need it, depending upon the natural sweetness of the fruit.
Take a second to rinse out the blender right after you use it, even if you're planning to wash it later; dried-on fruit makes for slow clean-up.