Easy Veggie Smoothies: 3 Ways to Make Kids Love Greens

Veggie Smoothies Make Kids Love Greens
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Telegram for the latest updates.

Upturned noses, gagging faces and even tears – forcing vegetable-hating kids to eat their greens can turn pleasant family dinners sour.

There are ways to add greens to your child’s meals. No sugar added!

Tried and tested on my preschooler, these sweet treats are easy to make and clear winners. Experiment with flavours which you know your child loves the most, or add new ingredients to expand her palate. Move over, anti-veggie dinner theatrics!

Veggie Smoothies Make Kids Love GreensSuperfood Smoothies: Three Ways

These cold treats top the list for a lovely dose of greens. Which adult or kid would turn down a smoothie?


READ THIS: Discover the Best Things to Do in Singapore This Weekend

-- Story continues below --

You will be surprised – there is no green taste despite the raw salad leaves in the mix. For extra mileage, the same recipe can be done three ways – smoothie, popsicle, or smoothie bowl.

1. Choc Berry Super Spinach Smoothie

Veggie Smoothies Make Kids Love GreensThis recipe is always a hit in my household. If your family is new to raw vegetables, start with baby spinach leaves. They are tender, sweet and mild. Kale is slightly bitter and strong-tasting. After my child got used to veggie smoothies, I started using kale and salad mixes. Microgreens – wonderful nutritional tiny powerhouses – are also great.

Raw cacao is high in antioxidants, due to the phytonutrients in cacao nibs. It is not the same as cocoa, which is raw cacao toasted at high temperatures, losing nutritional value in process. The good news is raw cacao tastes chocolatey too!

Berries add a sweet burst to the smoothie. And it is easy to freeze berries.

Bananas are like nature’s dessert – I have tried blending them frozen and at room temperature, and the smoothie still does fine. Sometimes I pop a whole banana, with skin on, into the fridge hours before blending, just to get the smoothie cold. If you want to freeze banana, it is best to slice them before freezing to make it easier on your blender’s blades.

I use oat milk as my child is allergic to dairy – you can use a variety of milks too. Reduce the amount of milk or add more frozen fruit if you want a thicker smoothie.

Choc Berry Super Spinach Smoothie Recipe

Ingredients

Half a banana (frozen, cold or room temperature)
3/4 cup of frozen strawberries, blueberries and raspberries
2 handfuls of raw baby spinach (start with one handful)
1 tablespoon of raw cacao powder
1 cup of milk of choice (dairy, goat, almond, oat, soy – all good)

Optional

2 teaspoons of chia seeds
2 teaspoons of flax seed meal
Half a teaspoon of bee pollen

Steps

Add the ingredients in the order listed. Toss in your frozen ingredients first as they need the most blitzing. The spinach and milk are added last. Blend until smooth.

You can substitute the milk with coconut water for a healthy, refreshing smoothie. Pack in more greens once you are confident that your child is taking this whole smoothie business. Make one for yourself too!

Other Mix-in Ideas

1 tablespoon of rolled oats
2 tablespoons of yogurt
A dollop of almond butter or peanut butter if you are feeling nutty
Half an avocado
Pineapple cubes
Mango cubes
A few ice cubes for a thicker, more icy smoothie

Tried-and-tested Favourite Combos

Bananas, nut butter, oats, greens, yogurt, milk
Dragonfruits, bananas, blueberries, greens, milk
Pineapples, bananas, greens, coconut milk
Mangoes, apples, bananas, greens, milk
Avocados, bananas, cacao powder, greens, milk
Strawberries, bananas, greens, yogurt, milk

2. Popsicles

Veggie PopsiclesThe great thing about smoothies is that they can be made into icy popsicles too. It is like a dessert upgrade.

Using the same smoothie recipe above, you can pour the mix into popsicle moulds. Freeze them, and you have a cold, creamy dessert for parties or special days!

3. Smoothie Bowl

Smoothie BowlsAcai bowls are all the rage. You can make your own version too, with or without the acai puree. Frozen acai puree or pulp can be easily found in supermarkets nowadays.

But be sure to whiz up a thicker smoothie when it comes to smoothie bowls. You don’t really want to sip cold fruity soup!

Add some fresh blueberries, sliced bananas, granola crunch, diced fruit like dragonfruit and mango, goji berries; dust on some chia seeds, and your smoothie bowl is good to go!

Better than ice kacang!

Green Smoothie

READ: Beat the Heat: Make Your Own Ice Cream in Cool Comfort


READ THIS: Discover the Best Things to Do in Singapore This Weekend

MORE STORIES: Little India, Bird Paradise and High Tea in Singapore

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Telegram for the latest updates.


E-von Yeung
E-von Yeung is a writer who loves discovering new places for her two-year-old Lil Pea to play and learn, or simply to enjoy family time together. These include everyday spots like supermarkets and parks, where fruits and veggies, trees and animals make for interesting conversations. She believes that early childhood education begins at home - and the great outdoors - with dad and mum.