The Magic That is the Smoothie

I am thankful every afternoon for the blessed smoothie.

Every afternoon, after Lola wakes up from her nap, we make a smoothie. I always make a big, big glass thinking we'll share, but only sometimes do I get any of it. I have stopped pouring mine until she is finished in order to avoid the rage that occurs when there is no more smoothie following her sweet little"mo" (with the sign "more" also, to make sure I know she really means it!).

What is magical about smoothies for a parent of a toddler is that you can put just about whatever you think your kid is needing in their diet into it.

Lola eats a good variety of fruit, so the fruit servings she gets in a smoothie are just bonus points. But, I've been relying on them to get more dairy in her (b/c she has never gone back to milk post-bottles). I also rely on them to get more veggies in her, which she eats very little of. And if I think she could use a little boost of whole grains that day, I'll throw in some of those too.

I never measure, but here is roughly the formula I use:

Half of a BANANA (always, for sweetness)

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Handful of frozen or fresh FRUIT, such as:

Raspberries
Strawberries
Watermelon
Blueberries
Mango
Pineapple

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Some VEGGIES, such as:

1 kale leaf
Handful of spinach
Half of an avocado
Carrot juice
Cooked beets (a little goes a long way!)
Sweet potato (I haven't tried this yet, but keep meaning to)

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About a half cup of YOGURT (I usually use Greek for the added protein boost)

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About 1 cup of MILK (or calcium-fortified oj)

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WHOLE GRAINS, such as:

1-2 tbsp wheat germ
Small handful oats

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A delicious, super nutritious, well-balanced snack for both of us.