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.
- 8 ounces coconut water ((regular ol' water is fine, too))
- 1 mango
- 6 pieces pineapple (OR use another yellow mango)
- Lemon
- 2 ounces Spinach leaves (roughly the equivalent of a soup bowl full of leaves)
- 1 Cucumber
- Ginger (I use a small pinch of minced or sliced, but you can also cut off and unpeel a small coin or knob from fresh ginger root)
- Turmeric (fresh or powder)
- Pour the coconut water into your blender jar; add a big squeeze of lemon into the blender.
- 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.
- Peel and discard cucumber skin, then slice the cuke vertically into about 5-6 pieces; toss pieces into your blender. Add in ginger.
- 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.)
- Blend on High until all ingredients are completely liquified and blended.
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.
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.
*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.
Brad (the Dad) is the founder and Chief Recipe Officer of New Dad's Kitchen. His own cooking/feeding journey started humbly during his son's infancy, preparing and managing his son's bottle intake in order to support his wife; it has since blossomed into a full-on passion to feed his child and family delicious and healthy meals that can satisfy both a toddler and his very tired parents.
