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Smoothie Your Way

October 10, 2010

Some mornings I get into the rut of making my kids the same old breakfast recipes. While I'm comforted by the fact that they love what I make them (Chloe could eat egg and cheese omelettes until she is blue in the face and Kenya, as you may know from last week's post, is obsessed as of late with museli, it can make me feel like I'm a lazy mom. The biggest issue for me is time. Between me not having a lot of it in the morning and the amount of it it takes my little ones to eat (Kenya can nurse a bowl of cereal for what seems like an eternity), I have to make things that are reasonably simple, but still loaded with as much nutrition as possible.

Recently, I added this breakfast recipe to my rotation and it has quickly become one of our new favorites. I call it Smoothie Your Way because the recipe all depends on what you've got sitting in your fridge or freezer or the things your kids enjoy the most. I've listed the basic formula for one serving, but don't let it stop from you improvising to make it just the way your family likes it best. And since you can always change up the ingredients, you never again have to worry about getting into a breakfast idea rut. Each day can truly be your way!

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Smoothie Your Way  (Serves 1)

  • Total Time: 2 minutes,

Ingredients

  • 1 banana
  • 1 cup fruit (of your choice fresh or frozen such as mango, berries,
  • papaya, pineapple or cherries)
  • 1/2 cup plain yogurt or kefir
  • 1/2 cup milk (i like to use vanilla rice or almond milk)

Preparation

  1. 1. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth.
  2. 2. Serve.
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Comments






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  3. Jamie

    January 28, 2012 at 8:05 am

    Reply

    I add oatmeal to make it more filling..

  4. Lisa Hindmarsh

    January 10, 2012 at 3:51 pm

    Reply

    we make smoothies a lot in our house. A tip…Frozen bananas! are great and can be used instead of ice, also apples make a great base with just water, instead of using milk. Honey is a great addition too.

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  6. Stephanie

    September 15, 2011 at 9:55 am

    Reply

    We had smoothies this morning! Our fav is spinach, a frozen organic berry blend, flax oil, organic OJ and a touch of honey if the berries are too tart. It’s dairy free, nice and thick and super yummy. And I always feel like super mom when I see my kids drinking spinach! :)

  7. Arelis

    July 29, 2011 at 8:28 am

    Reply

    I’ve been trying to get my 2 yr old to drink smoothies forever (well the last year). Finally I decided to give him a crazy curly straw and of course he drank this right up. Yay!!

  8. minta

    July 19, 2011 at 1:31 pm

    Reply

    My son is almost 14 months and I’ve been making a yogurt blend which he eats w/ a spoon – mostly because i haven’t thought to have him drink it (although i will soon). In his mix, i put in frozen strawberries, blueberries, sometimes mango, plain whole fat yogurt, and now i’ve been adding a touch of vanilla yogurt for sweetness. I’ve been putting kale in his blend which he can’t taste at all but he gets his greens. And then to thicken it up, i put a bit of oatmeal. I think i’ll try spinach next as i just found some organic frozen spinach at the store (I try to use as much organic ingredients in our food as possible). I think i’ll try some of these other combos you moms have suggested. Thanks!

  9. DianeMargaret

    July 19, 2011 at 11:23 am

    Reply

    We make ours with less fruit(we use frozen) and some POWDERED oatmeal, to give it some lasting girth! It really gets us through the morning that way!!!

  10. April

    July 19, 2011 at 10:23 am

    Reply

    We just went berry picking this past weekend and now have a healthy stash of blueberries, purple raspberries, and black raspberries in my freezer. Can’t wait to make these for my lil guy. It’ll be the perfect morning drink on a hot summer morning. Thanks!

  11. esther

    April 12, 2011 at 12:25 pm

    Reply

    My kids still love your avocado smoothies! They ask me for it all the time. My 2 year old asks me for it whenever she sees avocados in the store!

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  13. Stacy

    January 28, 2011 at 11:44 am

    Reply

    I just made this for my 13mo old and she loved it! She usually only gets milk or water, so this was a healthy change up for lunch today. Thanks for all the healthy options you give us for our babies!

  14. Christina

    January 28, 2011 at 2:58 am

    Reply

    I love this smoothie recipe! It’s a great guide for us smoothie newbies to begin from! Thank you for all your great recipes!! There is definitely something here for everyone! I have posted about this recipe and your site at my blog.

  15. Heather

    October 15, 2010 at 1:30 pm

    Reply

    just found this site and am exited to explore. I have a 5 year old and a 5 month old.

    I LOVE spinach smoothies. I throw in a few handfuls. You can’t taste it. It isn’t always the neatest color but a one could overcome that by making up fun nicknames to them..swamp smoothies, monster smoothies, or putting them in cups where you can’t see the color..with a lid and a straw.

  16. Nadine

    October 13, 2010 at 10:46 pm

    Reply

    Both avocado and chia seeds will thicken and make for a nice creamy and healthy smoothie. Don’t fear putting greens into smoothies, (ie; kale, spinach, mustard greens, watercress, collards etc) it’s a great way to consume superior disease fighting nutrition, both for children and adults! I have been amazed at the quantity of greens I have been able to “get away with” putting into smoothies w/o it affecting the taste. Lightly steam a handful before blending, which increases bio-availability. Steamed carrots and walnuts are a great addition as well.

  17. Lori

    October 11, 2010 at 11:57 pm

    Reply

    Just a question regarding the spinach…how much??? Catherine, I know you don’t like hiding foods but 2 year old son is terrible with all veggies no matter what, and I’ve tried everything so far!

    • catherine

      October 12, 2010 at 2:11 pm

      Reply

      I would put in about a cup :)

  18. Tracey

    October 11, 2010 at 8:36 pm

    Reply

    I toss in fresh spinach as well! If you use blueberries the color is still nice and you’d never, ever know it was in there. A nice way to sneak in a veggie for everyone!

  19. kaitlyn

    October 11, 2010 at 2:21 pm

    Reply

    I used stonyfield vanilla yogurt, frozen blueberries, sprinkle of milk powder, splash of oj, and a handful of walnuts into blender- so good!!and my kids LOVE it!

    • Michelle

      October 18, 2010 at 10:48 pm

      Reply

      I use a raw beet.. Add a little bit at a time and then slowly increase it they get use to it. Makes a beautiful color!
      My mix is cocunut water, frozen blue berries or whatever fruit, fresh Spinach, soaked chia seeds (I just keep them in a glass jar in fridge) banana and a little juice. my husband adds peanut butter to his and does not like the beat but my 2 and 4 year old love it.. I say every morning I make the smoothies.. this is going to be the best smoothie you haev ever had in your life.. With a big smile!!

  20. amber

    October 11, 2010 at 10:57 am

    Reply

    Any ideas how to thicken it up without yogurt? My son can’t have dairy or soy, so it gets a little more difficult to make a nice thick, nutritious smoothie for him!
    amber :)

    • kathy

      April 14, 2012 at 8:45 pm

      Reply

      I just made on of my favorite smoothies .i freeze strawberries(i live in alabama n there in season now here).i put maybe 4-5 frozen strawberries n one small bananaand a small amount of apple juice…way easy n tastes soo good

    • Carolyn

      July 19, 2011 at 10:51 am

      Reply

      One of my girls prefers her smoothies without dairy and she uses different kinds of juice instead. So we buy bags of frozen fruit at the grocery store(sometimes you can find organic). It’s always next to the Cool Whip & pie crusts. Or freeze your own fruit. It makes it come out super thick every time. Another thing we like is to use frozen juice concentrate and ice cubes along with frozen or fresh fruit. We use our Magic Bullet for these at least once a day per person all summer.

    • jen

      April 12, 2011 at 11:14 am

      Reply

      Have u tried Coconut yogurt? It tends to be on the expensive side but its tummy and preferred over soy here. we also make our own rice milk and its really thick

    • Tabitha

      October 18, 2010 at 4:47 pm

      Reply

      Avocados (with some coconut water or milk)! I add a whole avocado to my daughters smoothies, no matter what the flavor because you can’t taste them. She loves them anyway, but it’s great for kids who don’t get enough green in their diet and it has the added bonus of thickening the drink and making it extra smooth and creamy.

    • Julie

      October 14, 2010 at 10:50 am

      Reply

      Hi Amber,

      If your son can have nuts-you can make smoothies with almond or pecan milk-

      To make almond milk is really easy-soak the nuts for a few hours-rinse and drain. Then blend about 1 cup of almonds with 2-3 cups water for about 2 minutes. I don’t measure the water anymore but make it to the taste level I like…after blending strain and use the milk. I have been making flour out of the remaining pulp mix.

      I don’t usually put yogurt in my smoothies-just frozen fruit and bananas

    • Serena

      October 11, 2010 at 9:30 pm

      Reply

      I use tofu (soft) instead of yogurt…It thickens it as well as gets my son the protein he so badly needs!

    • Jennifer

      October 11, 2010 at 7:35 pm

      Reply

      We always use a banana to thicken. You can use less of the other liquids to get the right consistency for your smoothie.

    • Sarah

      October 11, 2010 at 1:18 pm

      Reply

      We use frozen fruit – that makes it nice and thick (not to mention icy cold which tastes great). I used to add a bit of oj or almond milk to thin it out when my son wasn’t eating diary since the frozen fruit actually makes it too thick without any liquid.

    • Tracy

      October 11, 2010 at 11:46 am

      Reply

      Amber – Have you tried coconut yogurt? That is what I use for my son who has a dairy allergy. And I also use the coconut milk. My daughter likes her smoothies with the coconut milk & yogurt better than cow’s milk.

      • amber

        October 12, 2010 at 11:21 am

        Reply

        Tracy – I never thought to use coconut milk, great idea. It’s definitley thicker than the rice milk. Unfortunately I can’t find the coconut yogurt here in Canada though I have bought it in the states before.

        Sarah – frozen fruit is great, but I agree its hard to get just the right consistency.

        Jennifer – My son is not huge on bananas and will only eat them occasionally, so it makes it difficult to use that as a thickener. He probably wouldn’t even drink it with a whole banana. I also don’t care for them, so I wouldn’t want to drink it if he didn’t.

        Serena – my son LOVES soy and tofu but unfortuantely it also triggers his eczema, so thats out too.

        Poor little guy – he’s so hard to feed sometimes!
        Amber :)

        • Suzanne

          October 12, 2010 at 5:21 pm

          Where in Canada do you live? I live in Winnipeg and I can find coconut milk in speciltie stores. Usually the african or carribean stores. Try looking for those type of shops in your yellow pages then call. Good luck!!!

        • nicole

          July 19, 2011 at 10:35 am

          I drink a smoothie nearly every morning and they are always dairy and soy free. Try coconut milk in the cans. It may be in the Thai/Asian section of the grocery store. I always start my smoothies by blending three ice cubes until they look like a slushy. Then I add all the fruit, etc. Frozen fruit always makes it thicker than fresh. I also had a chubby spoonful of raw almond butter and that thickens it up nicely. And I don’t add any liquid (almond or coconut milk and/or carrot juice) until I see what is needed. You only need enough to get the blender going!

  21. Amanda

    October 11, 2010 at 10:02 am

    Reply

    This is how I make smoothies for my kids! I just throw in what I have on hand. BUT! I never thought to throw in the spinach….I love this site more and more every day because I learn so much!

  22. Camille Clifford

    October 11, 2010 at 9:02 am

    Reply

    Love smoothies for breakfast! I make mine with MonaVie which is a super super juice blend with high antioxidants. Also use Greek yogurt, frozen blueberries, egg white protein powder, and Carlson’s liquid fish oil! They even have an oil with Vit D! The other flavors mask the fish oil so you don’t even taste it! This is super easy and quick and my 2 boys will drink it as well. At least I know we’re all starting the day off on the right foot!

  23. Kristin

    October 11, 2010 at 7:08 am

    Reply

    We do it similarly here – yogurt, frozen blueberries/strawberries, banana, fresh spinach & baby food carrots (if we have them), applesauce, mandarin oranges. Whatever we have around I cram in there. My kiddo is super low on the growth chart so I usually pour 1/2 of a Carnation Instant Breakfast in with it & that boosts the calories as well as makes the smoothie extra creamy! Yum!!

  24. Tonia

    October 11, 2010 at 6:10 am

    Reply

    I throw in frozen spinach, wheat germ, and flax seed meal. They can’t get enough!

  25. Raquel

    October 11, 2010 at 5:11 am

    Reply

    Smoothies have never let me down! You can also add a handful of spinach for extra vitamins. The banana masks any flavor of spinach…they’ll never know! Also, I make mine in a blender and it works pretty good (sometimes there are still lumps left in the bottom).

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