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Smoothies make the perfect, healthy treat any time of the day! This one is quick, convenient and power packed with fruits and greens to help fuel your little one until their next meal.
Smoothies are an easy, 5-minute breakfast to nourish your family on busy mornings. And let’s be real–what morning isn’t a 5-minute-breakfast morning? Especially if it’s a weekday. Or you have kids. Or you work. We should just call this the everyday smoothie.
Looking for a healthy snack? We love to serve smoothies to kids at snack time as well, especially if you can get your child or toddler involved in the prep. Have them help you toss ingredients into the blender. This can be a great exposure for picky eaters and selective kids. (See more picky eating tips below!)
Smoothies are great for kids because they’re packed with nutrients from all the fresh and frozen produce that goes into them. This green mango smoothie has an extra nutritional boost from chia seeds. Chia seeds bulk up the mixture a bit to keep your little one feeling full until lunch or snack time. To add crunchiness to your meal, serve this healthy smoothie with a graham cracker or a piece of toast and peanut butter.
Tips for making healthy and delicious smoothies for kids
Try freezing the banana for an extra smooth and creamy drink! For a bit of extra protein and richness in the smoothie, try adding a heaping spoonful of Greek yogurt. The yogurt and the frozen banana together add bulk and creaminess–which almost makes it taste like a shake!
Got nearly-wilted greens? Instead of discarding any spinach you have that’s starting to go bad, blend it up with some water and freeze the liquid in an ice cube tray. You’ll have frozen spinach ice ready to pop into your smoothie for easy prep.
If you’re often extremely short on time, portion out all the contents for your smoothie (or for multiple, kid-size smoothies) and place them into freezer zipper bags. These ready-to-go smoothie freezer packs will make your mornings that much quicker! When you’re ready to make a smoothie, just add your milk to your blender, pour in the contents of your smoothie pack, top it with fresh spinach (or pre-frozen spinach ice) and chia seeds and give it a whirl.
You can also freeze the smoothie or any leftovers that haven’t been served into popsicle molds for fun, fruity and healthy popsicles!
Smoothies can be a great way to introduce your kid or toddler to foods or flavors they’re hesitant to try. We encourage parents to have their little one add the ingredients into the blender themselves, especially any foods they are still learning to like. This way, your child knows the food is there from the start, and they can feel empowered to try new foods.
In a blender, add milk, mango, spinach, banana and chia seeds. Blend until smooth.
Serve a graham cracker on the side.
Notes
An ice pack is necessary for travel.
Ingredients with a “W” next to them are WIC-eligible items. WIC is the supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and children in the United States. It provides food to families with pregnant or postpartum women and young children. WIC-eligible items will vary based on location.
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Jordan grew up all over the country, but spent the majority of her childhood in the American South, specifically in Georgia and South Carolina. Jordan was previously a nanny for many years and has lived the experience of cooking while simultaneously taking care of children. As an Afro-Latina, Jordan has continued to dig deeper into the food history of her people. She attended culinary school at Auguste Escoffier. In addition to her education, Jordan comes from a long line of strong brown women who have passed their food knowledge from generation to generation. This combination of education and family knowledge has made her the talented cook that she is today. She finds immense joy and peace when she is cooking or when she is hanging out with her little nephews and niece.
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Created by experts, Kids Eat in Color is the leading resource for families seeking evidence-based information and strategies on child nutrition and feeding.
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