Easy Healthy Kid-Friendly Smoothie in 5 minutes
As a busy parent, I am always looking for ways to enhance my son’s nutrition. Smoothies or juicing are a very good way to do that as it allows for variety, a boost of minerals, vitamins, adaptogenic herbs and or anti-inflammatory foods.
Inflammation and gut flora imbalances have been linked to many conditions including allergies, behavioral disorders, gastrointestinal diseases, and Mental Illness. Chronic illnesses such as Diabetes, obesity, malnutrition, eating disorders, asthma, IBS. Finally, developmental disabilities, including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) ADHD, and the autism spectrum disorders.
The good news is that many of these conditions can be addressed via a well balanced, and clean diet. Don’t be afraid to experiment with foods, of course, keeping in mind your child’s nutritional needs or allergies. Additionally, you can always substitute ingredients with what you have on hand.
Wha Makes This a Kid-Friendly Healing Smoothie?
You can get the ingredients ready the night before and leave them in your favorite blender. Mine is a Nutri-Ninja, but you can use a Nutribullet, blender or whatever makes your life easier. This breakfast smoothie will keep your little ones(s) nourished throughout the day.
My son reports feeling satiated until around noon. Why? Very simple — when you nourish your body with wholesome foods, it doesn’t require any other extras.
He loves the taste but I have to admit that in order to make it palatable, I have a secret ingredient that doesn’t compromise the Smoothies health benefits– when I know I am adding lots of greens or a foreign elixir. It varies from my ancient golden paste to cod liver oil or moringa powder. Oh no!!! Moringa for children? Yep, here is why:
According to moringa source: Rapidly growing bodies need nutrients to aid in muscle and bone growth, brain development, mental clarity, healthy skin, hair, and nails, and to strengthen the immune system. Children deprived of nourishment during these intensive growth cycles may show lower IQ levels, speech and language difficulties, and slower motor skills. They can develop a number of chronic diseases and ailments, setting them up for poor health lifelong.
Yet some children are fussy eaters, selecting sugared cereals, pop, and fatty dairy products, over vegetables, fruit, whole grains and lean meats. With Moringa, you can give your child a head start to a healthy life…. That’s when smoothies come in.
Pound for pound, Moringa contains:
- 3 times the iron than spinach
- 4 times the calcium found in milk
- 3 times the potassium of bananas
- 2 times the protein found in yogurt and almost the same amount of protein found in eggs
- 7 times the vitamin C of oranges
If you don’t have to add moringa powder, you can substitute it for spirulina or even maca powder. However, since I started adding it to his smoothies and I totally noticed the difference in his performance at school, sports and even concentration.
Without further ado here is the recipe:
Kid Friendly Smoothie Recipe
Ingredients Organic (preferably):
3 Spinach leaves
2 Kale leaves
4 Strawberries
1 Banana
Powdered Ingredients:
1/4 tsp Maca powered (Natural energy & focus during the day)
1/4 tsp moringa powder (I like this one)
1 scoop Nutritional Plant Based Kidz Superfood Powder (my peanut loves this one)
1/4 tsp Greens superfood multivitamin (I use this one by Amazing grass)
1/8 tsp chia seeds
Liquid ingredients:
3 Oz Almond milk
3 Oz of water
1 tsp My Ancient Golden paste
2 tbs Kefir plain homemade or yogurt ( but you can get flavored in the supermarket)
1tbs Almond butter (protein, healthy fats, and just yummy)
And the secret ingredient to add a dash of sweetness …
1 tbs organic mixed berry jam. It has no added sugars and you can see the chunks of fruit.
Instructions:
Add vegetables, and fruits to your favorite blender first. Add the liquid ingredients, and finally the powdered ingredients. Blend for 40-60 seconds or until ingredients are pulverized. Voila!!
I know it seems like a lot but you can get creative and use what you have when it comes to fruits/veggies. What I do not compromise on is protein mix and the multivitamin greens, Kefir.
Have fun and remember: If you train their taste buds early, they’ll continue to seek those foods throughout their lives.
To your best health,