My almost-two-year-old and I drank a smoothie every morning. Surprisingly, I rarely made them for breakfast, although I totally could. Instead, I always served them as a mid-morning snack, to bridge the gap between early morning breakfasts (have I told you he’s only slept past 4:30 a.m. FIVE times in fifteen months!) and lunch.
He’s completely obsessed with smoothies, as he’s been drinking them since they were age-appropriate, and I have yet to find one he doesn’t like. I add spinach and kale, hemp hearts, and chia seeds, and all manners of frozen fruit and/or vegetable juices. Smoothies are a really great way to sneak superfoods into your family’s diet, especially a toddler’s since it’s not uncommon for little ones to be picky during this stage of development.
His favourite, by far, is the one I affectionately dub ‘the flu fighter’. I started drinking it when I was pregnant with him, which might have something to do with his enthusiasm for this brightly hued and healthy concoction, and since then I’ve tweaked the recipe to include robust flavours like ginger and turmeric.
Here are 3 toddler-approved smoothie recipes:
The Flu Fighter Smoothie
Makes 2 smoothies
You’ll Need:
- 1 cup pure carrot juice
- 1 cup coconut water
- 1 ½ cups frozen tropical fruit mix (pineapples, mango, peach, strawberry)
- 1 banana
- ½ tsp. ground ginger
- ½ tsp. ground turmeric
Prep and Cook:
- Add all of the ingredients to a blender, cover, and blend until smooth.
Green Banana Smoothie
Makes 2 smoothies
You’ll Need:
- 1 ½ cups almond milk
- 2 large handfuls baby spinach
- 2 Tbsp. natural peanut butter
- 1 frozen banana, cut into chunks
- Optional: ½ avocado, cubed
Prep and Cook:
- Add all of the ingredients to a blender, cover, and blend until smooth.
Chocolate Cherry Smoothie
Makes 2 smoothies:
- 1 ½ cups almond milk
- 1 ½ bananas
- 3 Tbsp. hemp hearts
- 1 cup frozen cherries
- 2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tsp. pure maple syrup
Prep and Cook:
- Add all of the ingredients to a blender, cover, and blend until smooth. Taste for sweetness, adding more maple syrup if needed.
Tagged under: smoothies,toddler meals,recipes for toddlers,toddler snacks
Category: toddler-food
