Kid-Friendly Green Smoothie Recipes
Green Smoothies Kids (and Adults) will Want to Drink
Nearly all the green smoothie recipes I've seen are geared towards adults who want to get more vegetables in their diets. That's all well and good, and in fact, I'm one of those adults. However, children can greatly benefit from green smoothies. What better way to help develop great eating habits than to introduce healthy foods at an early age. Kids' pickier palates can't usually handle smoothies based on wheatgrass or other somewhat stronger flavors as well as grown ups can, so I've put together a set of recipes to help kids drink their veggies.
And, let's face it, parents are busy and we don't always have time to get to the health food store to buy specialty products like spirulina and other not-so-common ingredients that inhabit many green smoothies. That's why I've only included green smoothie ingredients that are relatively easy to obtain at a good size grocery store. In addition, you'll see a number of suggestions for substitutions in my recipes. Tweak them all you want....you know your kids' tastes best.
You'll notice that not all these smoothies are green-colored. When I say 'green smoothie,' I'm referring to the fact that it contains greens like kale, spinach, swiss chard or other green leafy vegetable. Most of the ones we make are actually purple.
....and if all else fails, freeze your smoothies into ice pops. My nieces won't touch a smoothie, but they'll wolf down a popsicle made of the very same smoothie mixture.
Why Green Smoothies?
How my family started drinking some of our fruits and vegetables
I'd always thought the idea of green smoothies was a little gross. Most of the ones I'd seen looked like slime, so I imagined that they tasted either like mushy vegetables or funky socks, neither of which was appetizing. Then my family got in a breakfast rut. I think we ate cereal nearly every morning for months. It was so easy to eat quick-fix processed food on autopilot, but my husband and I were determined to have something healthier AND add more fruits and vegetables to our diet.
One of my moms' group friends mentioned that her son (same age as my daughter) loved homemade smoothies and that she added a bit of spinach and avocado to the ones she fixed for him. I was intrigued. I threw together my first green smoothie with some frozen fruit, soymilk and maybe 5 leaves of spinach. It tasted pretty good, so I made more smoothies, gradually adding a bit more spinach every so often.
This led to more experimenting around with smoothie flavors, since my daughter would tend to get tired of the same flavor every time. Some of my early recipes led to the ones I make more often now. However, a few others met with dismal failure, particularly a couple where I just threw every piece of fruit I found in the fridge into the blender rather than as a result of too many greens.
After a bit, I got into a smoothie groove and had upped the greens in each batch enough where I was pretty happy with how much extra nutrition we were getting each day, and happy about how much less processed food (breakfast cereal in particular) we'd dropped from our morning routine. Even better, I learned how having the spinach, kale, etc. pureed beforehand improves your digestion of it as opposed to eating greens whole. Yay! Another unintended benefit.
Sometimes I miss the convenience of boxed breakfast cereal, and occasionally I'll pull it out if we're in a rush or I'm just feeling lazy, but around 8 mornings out of 10, I'm starting up the blender to mix up our deliciously healthy smoothie breakfast.
Photo credit: BunnyFabulous My daughter, age 3, sipping her morning smoothie
Have You Made Green Smoothies Before?
Have you made green smoothies before for yourself or your family?
By far, the best blender I've ever used
My Smoothie Recipes
After lots of experimentation, I created a few green smoothie recipes that my family enjoys. The ones I have below are all at least vegetarian, and could easily be made vegan by substituting non-dairy yogurt or just eliminating the yogurt altogether.
Peachy Orange Smoothie
Cook Time
Prep Time: 5-15 min.
Total Time: 10-20 min.
Serves: Approx. 3 servings, depending on the size of your serving
Ingredients
- 1 cup loosely packed fresh spinach (washed)
- 1 medium orange, peeled
- 1 large ripe peach, pitted. or use equivalent amount of frozen peaches
- 2 bananas, peeled
- 1/2 cup vanilla flavor Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons flax seeds or flax seed meal
- 1/2 to 1 1/2 cup water -to taste for consistency.
Instructions
- Chop spinach and fruit, if that's necessary for your blender to puree them adequately. Add all ingredients to the blender, starting with the spinach on the bottom. (I've found that tends to blend them better). If you're using frozen fruit, start out by adding 1 cup water to the blender, if not, start with 1/2 cup of water and a handful of ice cubes. Blend, pausing to test for consistency. Add more water or ice as needed until the smoothie reaches your desired thickness.
- Note: Longer prep time is if you have to chop fruit. Shorter prep time is for using a professional blender (such as a Vitamix or Blendtec) where you don't have to chop anything up
- Photo credit: BunnyFabulous --AKA this photo was taken by me. :)
Yule Fuel Smoothie - holiday season fruits? Yes, please!
This festive smoothie combines the tart redness of cranberry and the green of kale, then offsets it with the sweetness of pear. It's pretty tart if you don't add much sweetener, so add more healthier sweetener options to cut the tartness if you like.
Ingredients
- 1/2 to 1 cup kale - large stems removed
- 1/2 cup cranberries, fresh or frozen (don't use canned)
- 1 cup strawberries, frozen
- 1 or 2 ripe bartlett pears
- 2 tablespoons ground flax seed
- 1/2 cup vanilla or plain greek yogurt
- 1 to 2 tablespoons agave nectar, honey, or truvia, your preference
- 1/4 cup water, more Ice or water to taste if necessary for smoothie consistency
Instructions
- If your blender isn't powerful enough to chop the fruit itself, chop all fruit ingredients, and the kale too if necessary. Add all ingredients, including 1/4 cup of water. Blend thoroughly. Take a little taste, then add more sweetener and/or ice or water to taste and to your desired consistency.
Make it icy!
If your child balks at a smoothie's texture, try blending 4-5 more ice cubes into it. My daughter had loved McDonald's smoothies, but sometimes turned up her nose at mine. I made the texture of our homemade ones more like the McDonald's smoothies, and she drank them right up.
Serving Size
Serves: 2-4, depending on serving size
Vegan Deep Purple Smoothie
- 2 large leaves of kale, large middle stem removed
- 1 small apple, cored and seeded
- 1 cup strawberries
- 1/2 cup blueberries
- 3/4 cup frozen mixed berries (raspberries/blackberries/blueberries)
- 2 bananas
- 2 tablespoons flax seed meal
- 1 cup Silk Fruit and Protein drink, substitute 100% fruit juice
- water and ice, to taste
Instructions
- Chop kale and fruit, if that's necessary for your blender to puree them adequately. Add all ingredients to the blender, starting with the kale on the bottom. (I've found that tends to blend them better). If you're using frozen fruit, start out by adding the Silk Fruit and Protein (or soymilk & berry juice) to the blender. Blend, pausing to test for consistency. Add more water or ice as needed until the smoothie reaches your desired thickness.
- If most of your fruit is fresh (not frozen), start out by adding the Silk Fruit and Protein (or soymilk & berry juice) and a handful of ice cubes to the blender. Blend, pausing to test for consistency. Add water or ice as needed until the smoothie reaches your desired thickness.
- Note: Longer prep time is if you have to chop fruit. Shorter prep time is for using a professional blender (such as a Vitamix or Blendtec) where you don't have to chop anything up
- Photo credit: BunnyFabulous --AKA this photo was taken by me. :)
Berry Banana Peach Smoothie
This one's a nice starter green smoothie with a familiar color and flavor profile. Start out with the suggested amount of greens to keep the color of the smoothie redder if you wish, then add more spinach in subsequent batches.
Serving Size
Serves: 2-4, depending on serving size
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup packed spinach leaves
- 2 bananas, peeled
- 1 1/2 cups strawberries
- 2 large ripe peaches, pitted
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, vanilla flavor or plain
- 2 tablespoons flax seed meal
- honey, agave nectar, or stevia to taste
- water and ice, to taste for consistency
Instructions
- Chop spinach and fruit, if that's necessary for your blender to puree them adequately. Add all ingredients to the blender, starting with the spinach on the bottom. (I've found that tends to blend them better). If you're using frozen fruit, start out by adding 1/2 to 3/4 cup of water to the blender. Blend, pausing to test for consistency. Add more water or ice as needed until the smoothie reaches your desired thickness.
- If most of your fruit is fresh (not frozen), start out by adding 1/4 cup water and a handful of ice cubes to the blender. Blend, pausing to test for consistency. Add water or ice as needed until the smoothie reaches your desired thickness.
- Note: Longer prep time is if you have to chop fruit. Shorter prep time is for using a professional blender (such as a Vitamix or Blendtec) where you don't have to chop anything up
Pear Green Smoothie
This one turns out a lighter green color
Cook Time
Prep Time: 5-10 min.
Total Time: 15-20 min.
Serves: 2-4, depending on serving size
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- 2 ripe pears
- 1 cup strawberries
- 2 ripe bananas
- 1/2 cup vanilla or honey vanilla greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup milk alternative (almond milk/soymilk/etc.)
- 1/2 cup mixed berry juice
- water and ice as needed for consistency
Instructions
- Chop spinach and fruit, if that's necessary for your blender to puree them adequately. Add all ingredients to the blender, starting with the spinach on the bottom. (I've found that tends to blend them better). If you're using frozen fruit, start out by adding the milk alternative and berry juice to the blender. Blend, pausing to test for consistency. Add more water or ice as needed until the smoothie reaches your desired thickness.
- If most of your fruit is fresh (not frozen), start out by adding the milk alternative and berry juice and a handful of ice cubes to the blender. Blend, pausing to test for consistency. Add water or ice as needed until the smoothie reaches your desired thickness.
- Note: Longer prep time is if you have to chop fruit. Shorter prep time is for using a professional blender (such as a Vitamix or Blendtec) where you don't have to chop anything up
- Photo credit: BunnyFabulous --AKA this photo was taken by me. :)
Smoothie Tip:
Smoothie ingredients can get a little pricey. To help keep costs down, use recipes that call for produce that's currently in season. Use frozen fruit if it's cheaper, or better yet, get fruits and veg from your local farmer's market.
- Pina Colada Ice Pops
Tropical flavors of banana and coconut make this sound like a delicious smoothie or ice pop. Just add a bit of spinach to make it green! - Green Goodness Green Smoothie
Almond milk makes this one a vegan green smoothie, rounded out by spinach, pineapple, banana and strawberries - Killer Strawberry Kiwi Green Smoothie
This one's got the sweet/tart taste of kiwi to add some interest. It also calls for wheatgrass, which isn't as readily available as most of the ingredients in the smoothies I make. If you can get it and like what it adds to a smoothie, go for it!
Potential Smoothie Ingredients
You know the flavors you and/or your family like and what you might like to get out of a green smoothie, so I've included these lists of smoothie ingredients to help you think of your own recipes. These lists aren't exhaustive, they're merely meant to get your creative juices flowing about what your custom smoothie would include.
Greens to Use in Your Green Smoothies - Here are my favorites as well as some other popular greens
These are what make your green smoothies, well, green. Raw greens are overwhelmingly nutritious and the fact that they're already pureed makes them that much easier to digest. Typically, these ingredients don't add much to your smoothie's flavor profile, which is good if you (or your kids) have a hard time eating them in their plain form. They do change the color of smoothies though, so keep that in mind.
- Spinach -- The gateway green. It's mild flavor and wide availability make spinach an easy choice for those beginning to make green smoothies. Nutritionally, it's no slouch either. These dark green leaves are high in calcium, iron, fiber, Vitamin C and magnesium, just to name a few. Spinach is in heavy rotation in my family's smoothies, and I can usually pack quite a bit of it in without affecting the flavor.
- Kale -- Kale is my new best friend for green smoothies. Its flavor is a bit sharper than spinach, so you have to make sure the rest of your ingredients can handle balancing it out, but it's worth it for the health benefits. Raw kale is a very good source of potassium, Vitamin K, calcium, Vitamin C and more. It's also a good source of iron and fiber. Most interesting to me is that it's got very anti-inflammatory properties.
- Swiss Chard -- This is a popular green for smoothies, but not one I've ventured out into yet. Like kale, it's got a bit of a sharp flavor on its own, but it's very filling and packed full of nutrients to start your day off right. It's a great source of a lot of the same nutrients as spinach and kale, but with the added benefit of being a very good source of Vitamin E. I may just have to try it out soon myself!
- Romaine -- I know people put this super-easy-to-find green in their smoothies, and it's a healthy option with similar nutrients to spinach, kale and swiss chard. I've tried it, but I can't seem to get the pureed salad taste out of the smoothies I make with it. Hmmmm... maybe you might have more luck.
Eat Your Kale in a Green Smoothie
Ideas for Fruit Ingredients
If you make up a yummy new green smoothie recipe, please let me know about it!
- Bananas - They add sweetness, potassium, and bulk to a smoothie. They're one of the ingredients I use most often, especially since they go with so many flavors.
- Strawberries - Another of my favorite smoothie ingredients since their flavor profile blends well with many other fruits and hides the taste of vegetables easily. They have more sugar than other berries, so if you're wanting to cut the sweetness, go for darker berries.
- Raspberries - A little berry with a stronger tart than sweet flavor, it's great paired with other berries. If you have other sweet flavors in the smoothie already, raspberry can give a little extra zip. Its flavor translates well to ice pops if you freeze your smoothie leftovers. They're high in Vitamin C too.
- Blueberries - You'll get your Vitamins K and C from these little blue nutritional powerhouses. Blueberries turn smoothies dark purple, so they're great for hiding the green color of your greens if you so desire. Like raspberries, they tend to pair well with other berries, but their flavor isn't quite as distinct.
- Blackberries - Nothing says summer to me like the taste of a ripe, juicy blackberry. Want more fiber and folate in your diet? Add some of these sweet/tart berries to your smoothie and watch the color of your drink turn a deep purple. They also have a good flavor as a frozen fruit pop, but make sure to pair them with some sweetness like grapes, pears, etc. if you want to cut the tartness.
- Peaches - A good source of Vitamin A and Niacin, the mellow flavor of ripe peaches has a lot to add in rounding out the flavor of a smoothie. Pairing well with berries as well as citrus, I find peaches a great addition to a smoothie. I sometimes just put them in with strawberries and greens, and not much else.
- Pears - You wouldn't think a pear would add much to a smoothie's flavor profile, but I've found that they add a sweetness that doesn't taste too sugary. While they do have a lot of natural sugars, they're also a very good source of fiber, so I use them frequently when they're in season. They blend very smoothly too. I'd highly suggest using fresh pears as opposed to canned, and definitely avoid pears in heavy syrup. Not so healthy.
- Apples - Too many apples in a smoothie can give it an applesauce-like texture, which is great if you like that. I personally don't care for it, so I usually limit my smoothies to one good-size apple. They're a great filler fruit with good amounts of fiber and Vitamin C and a pleasant taste that doesn't overwhelm other fruits. I like pairing apples with grapes, and it's a familiar flavor profile to children. If your blender can handle it, keep the skins on the apples for extra nutrition.
- Grapes - While they're in season, I almost always have grapes on hand, so they're an easy choice for a smoothie ingredient. A very familiar and appealing flavor to most children (including mine), either red or green grapes add good amounts of Vitamin C and Vitamin K. If your blender isn't as powerful, you may get bigger pieces of skin, however.
If fresh grapes are on sale, buy a large amount of them, and freeze them for smoothies. Frozen grapes are another one of my favorite snacks too. Try them and see why.
- Oranges - Essential for the creamsicle-flavored smoothies, and also helpful for kids who enjoy orange juice to transition into smoothies. Oranges add fiber, folate and of course, Vitamin C. They lend a strong flavor to smoothies, though, so unless you want them to be the main flavor of a smoothie, go light on them.
- Plums and Prunes - Prunes (dried plums) add a stronger flavor to a smoothie than fresh plums, and tend to complement berry flavors the best.
- Dates - These tasty little fruits don't have much to offer in the way of vitamins and minerals, but I've liked them occasionally as a better alternative to sweetening with sugar.
- Kiwis - These cute little fruits bring potassium and Vitamin E to your smoothie, and of course, go well with strawberries. Unless you have a high-powered blender, you may find their little black seeds adding texture to your smoothie. I like to get these when they go on sale (which where I live is rarely) just for a little variety.
- Pineapple - I generally prefer berry smoothies, but every once in a while I get a hankering for a tropically flavored smoothie. Pineapple comes in very handy for these occasions, and adds Thiamin, Vitamin B6 and Copper into the mix. Like with oranges, don't be heavy-handed with these unless you want them to be the dominant flavor. Use fresh pineapple whenever possible, and steer clear of canned pineapple in syrup.
- Mango - I know lots of folks who add mango to their smoothies, but it hasn't been one of my daughter's favorites, so I've tended to avoid it. Your kids may like it a lot though, and if you include it in your smoothie, they'll get a very good source of Vitamins A and C.
- Lime - Add a little zip, Iron, fiber and Vitamin C with the tanginess of a lime. You can even put them in whole; the rinds are edible and just add more flavor. My daughter doesn't care for lime as much, but I add it to smoothies for my husband and I.
Other Green Smoothie Ingredients - While these don't necessarily make a smoothie 'green,' they come in handy for taste, texture or nutrition. Use as you see fit
- Carrots - We all know they help with vision, and their sweet flavor also comes with Vitamins A and K as well as Manganese. I'll often toss a few in just for a little extra nutrition boost. At least for the smoothies I've made, they haven't added much in the way of flavor, though.
- Avocado - My friend's favorite green smoothie additive lends a slight creaminess to the mixture, as well as heart-healthy fats. I like to add it every so often to my green colored green smoothies, like the pear one. The flavor goes well with a lightly sweet smoothie, plus the green matches.
- Soymilk, Almond Milk, Coconut Milk and other Milk Alternatives - Each add their own distinctive flavor and health benefits, especially for those avoiding dairy. I like their light sweetness, and add them along with water to balance out a smoothie's consistency. Sometimes plain water can get a bit too drab and when I use a milk alternative it lessens the need for using sweeteners.
- Fruit Juice - Juice adds flavor, but not much else in my opinion. I'll use it sparingly or in place of using a sweetener since it lacks the fiber that whole fruits contribute to a smoothie. For children used to the flavor of juice, however, it can lend a familiarity to help get them used to drinking smoothies. Use 100% natural juices!
- Greek-style yogurt - If you haven't tried Greek-style yogurt yet, I'd definitely recommend it. I find it much more flavorful and satisfying than regular yogurt, and it has much more protein. The consistency is thicker and custard-like, which adds some denseness to a smoothie. I make sure that any yogurt I add to smoothies has live and active cultures to benefit my family's digestion.
- Protein Powder - We used to use this more often in our smoothies to add protein into the mix, but it does affect the flavor, so be aware that you may need to use some more strongly-flavored ingredients to get a taste that you find appealing.
What to Do With Leftover Smoothie? Make Ice Pops!
Don't be afraid to make a huge green smoothie. It won't go to waste if you make popsicles from what you don't drink right away.
What's just as healthy as a green smoothie and sometimes even more tasty? An ice pop made from green smoothie.
At first, I tried to control the volume of my green smoothies so we wouldn't have any left over, which was too time-consuming when I was tweaking new recipes. Lots of times I had to add more water, juice, or milk-alternative for consistency's sake which gave me more smoothie than I'd bargained for. Enter the dollar-store ice pop molds. I saw them on the end of an aisle during a shopping trip and the lighbulb went on in my head...just freeze the extra smoothie in them to make a yummy frozen treat for later. Maybe not a genius of an idea, but I was pretty proud of myself.
The smoothies froze really well, and they became an easy, healthy treat to give my preschooler. She's probably one of the very few kids who gets popsicles for breakfast on a regular basis. In fact, I encourage that as an alternative to smoothie since she likes them a lot, and it's just another way for her to get her greens and some fruit, fiber and protein to boot.