Thursday, January 26, 2012

My favorite Green Smoothie

Getting kids to eat vegetables has been a battle fought for ages. Last year I started getting concerned about the number of vegetables Patrick was taking in. I have a friend who juiced and was able to get her daughter to drink "Green juice." This was some combination of fruit and kale. I looked into juicing but not having a juicer I also looked into alternatives. I came across this book, Green Smoothie Revolution: The Radical Leap Towards Natural Health by Victoria Boutenko. I tried one the next day and I was hooked. I've made them almost everyday since. We all drink them, Patrick and Charlie included. The boys don't balk at the green color of them. They don't even question it. I also freeze the leftovers into popsicles and they eat those up too. When Charlie was still eating baby food I mixed the smoothie with his rice cereal. He loved it. The best part is that it isn't just any vegetables. It's the vegetables we should be eating most, dark leafy greens. Spinach and kale are the two greens I use the most. Spinach is the easiest because you don't even taste it. Kale is also pretty easy to disguise the taste but it is more fibrous. I also use chard, collards, dandelion greens, or regular old lettuce. Whatever I have around. Chard has an odd sweet taste, dandelion greens a bitter taste, so these are harder to get kids to eat but worth a shot.
This morning I made my favorite smoothie. It's tart but sweet enough that every bit gets finished. Here it is:

2 oranges, peeled ( I've used clementines also)
2 cups spinach or 1/2 bunch kale cut to fit in blender
1 cup water
1 container peach soy yogurt (I don't always put this in, it's sweeter with it)
1 banana, frzn
1/2 pkg frzn peaches

Put the oranges, spinach or kale, water and yogurt into the blender and blend until greens are completely pureed. Add the frozen fruit and blend until smooth.

Try it. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

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