3 Sneaky Smoothie Recipes that Will Trick Kids into Eating Veggies

If your kids make a fuss every time you try to feed them solid veggies, or they flat-out refuse to eat them, you may need to get creative with smoothies. Most kids can’t resist the appeal of colorful drinks, and you can easily sneak some healthy vegetables into fruity shakes to make sure your little ones are eating enough of them.

To get you started, here are 3 easy recipes your kids will love:

1. Green Dream Kale-Banana Smoothie

Kale tends to be an acquired taste, but its nutritional benefits are incredible. Avoid using the stems, and slowly swap out the baby spinach with more kale as your kids get used to the flavor. Banana makes this smoothie richer and creamier, in addition to masking the taste of leafy greens and boosting its vitamin and mineral content.

Ingredients

1 cup kale (chopped)
1 cup baby spinach (chopped)
1 banana (fresh or frozen)
1 teaspoon flax seeds
½ cup unsweetened nut/soy milk
1 teaspoon maple syrup/honey

Preparation

Pour the flax seeds into a blender and grind until you get a fine powder. Layer the kale, banana, maple syrup/honey and milk over it and blend until smooth. Serve fresh or store in a smoothie container for later.

2. Beet-Berry Blaster Smoothie

Beets are a great source of vitamin C, potassium, manganese and the B vitamin folate. This beet-berry smoothie recipe combines their natural sweetness with tangy antioxidant-boosting berries and orange juice, to create a fruity and richly-colored shake that’s both delicious and healthy.

Ingredients

1 cup beets (peeled and chopped)
1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1 banana (chopped and frozen)
1 cup ice
1 cup orange juice

Preparation

Pour the ice, beets, blueberries and banana into a blender, add orange juice, and blend until smooth. Serve fresh or store in a smoothie container for later.

3. Sweet-and-Tangy Spinach Smoothie

Leafy greens such as spinach are high in dietary fiber and phytonutrients. Try baby spinach first, to get your kids accustomed to the milder flavor. Balance the “green” flavor with sweet-and-tangy apples and grapes, which are loaded with vitamins and dietary fiber in addition to delicious fruitiness!

Ingredients

1 cup spinach leaves (chopped)
½ apple (peeled and chopped)
1 ripe banana (fresh or frozen)
1 cup seedless grapes (remove seeds if using regular grapes)
1 tub vanilla-flavoured yogurt

Preparation

Pour the chopped spinach leaves, apple, banana, grapes and yogurt into a blender and blend until smooth. Serve fresh or store in a smoothie container for later.

5 Tips & Tricks to Help Kids Transition to Green Smoothies

1. Smoothie Races – Get them to race against you and other family members, bringing in an element of challenge and motivating everyone to gulp those smoothies down!
2. Junior Smoothie-Maker – Partner with your kid while prepping smoothies, whether it’s shopping for ingredients, washing fruits and veggies, or measuring them.
3. Custom Toppings – Your child will love adding a finishing touch to each smoothie with their favorite fruit, whipped cream, and even party straws or parasols!
4. Set an Example – If your kids see you drinking smoothies, they will want to follow as well. Carry smoothie bottles when you leave for work or head to the park.
5. Name the Recipe – You don’t have to go with the names we’ve picked out for each smoothie recipe, but get your kids to come up with fun and creative names instead.

If you’re planning to make larger batches, make sure to use a good smoothie storage solution that will keep the ingredients fresh and maintain their nutritional value for longer time.