A Green Smoothie for Toddlers that My Son Drinks Everyday
Sure, buying a premade pouch or smoothie probably appears simpler–if not less futile–than making your own concoction twice a week, but if I told you could make something better in five minutes—or ten, if you want your kid(s) to help make it—and meet 85% of a day’s fruit and veggie intake in one serving you’d do it, right? This is that right one.
Ingredients
Instructions
Prep
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Pour the coconut water into your blender jar; add a big squeeze of lemon into the blender.
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Unpeel the mango; using hands or a knife, pull the fruit from the pit and drop in blender jar. Squeeze out any remaining juice from the pit and skin into jar before fully discarding. Add pineapple, if using.
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Peel and discard cucumber skin, then slice the cuke vertically into about 5-6 pieces; toss pieces into your blender. Add in ginger.
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Separate spinach leaves from their stems; place leaves in your blender.* (Optional: I also add a small thumb of fresh turmeric or turmeric powder + a wee bit of salt.)
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Blend on High until all ingredients are completely liquified and blended.
Serve
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Dealer's choice here: pouch, bottle, cup, etc. If you're working on improving your child's ability with an open cup, this is a good one for practice.
Adapt
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Smoothies are, by their nature, endlessly adaptable. This one is no exception: you can swap spinach for kale; watermelon for the mango or ; increase the vegetable ratio--try adding celery!--and decrease the fruit; et al.
Note
*Around two years of age I got my son involved in the process by having him separate the spinach leaves; by three, I hope to have him help me with peeling and pouring.
