This Toddler Protein Smoothie Is The Best of Both Worlds
Easy sell, this one: a toddler protein smoothie that’s got pretty much a whole day’s nutrition in it, with no added sugar. Plenty for them to love about it, too, not to worry: the date-pumpkin-natural peanut butter combo is naturally sweet and produces a thick and creamy mix that’s more milkshake than pressed juice. A glass of it can power your child—or you!—through a preschool morning or busy afternoon.
Check out our other smoothie recipes for more great and nutritious toddler drinks!
Ingredients
Instructions
Prep
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Soak your dates in warm water for at least 10 minutes to loosen outer skin; when ready to blend, peel off skin and/or scoop out sticky fruit inside and drop in blender. (Note: if you don’t remove the skin, your blender may not be able to break down and blend the dates.)
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Add in the milk, pumpkin puree, banana, and a splash of Vanilla Extract; then add 1-2 scoops of peanut butter (do two if you want it to be extra peanut-buttery), a couple of shakes of cinnamon, and a scoop of protein powder (if using). Blend on High for 30 seconds.
Serve
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Given its richness and, well, viscosity, a little goes a long way: a four ounce serving is plenty. The default proportions will produce roughly 14 ounces of smoothie, enough for your child to have one or two servings…and the rest to you.
Adapt
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Don’t have any pumpkin? You can replace with about 6-8 steamed carrots—blend these into a puree first before adding the rest of the ingredients—or leave out the vegetable entirely. You can leave out the peanut butter, too—just toss in a spoonful of yogurt to compensate for the loss of density.
