Family Health/ Family Wellness

Whole Food Smoothies for the Whole Family

By Kathryn Dickens, RDN

Whether or not you’re a resolution maker at the start of a new year, almost everyone hopes for good health and aims to take better care of themselves and their families in some way. I am all about setting easy and achievable goals for myself, ones that allow me to add something enjoyable to my life (rather than remove something “bad”), and smoothies are a wonderful way to add nutrition to your family’s diet in a deceptively delicious way.

The whole foods and antioxidants packed into a smoothie can boost your well-being, not to mention they’re refreshing and fast meals first thing in the morning, for a light lunch, or midday pick-me-up. Smoothies are an easy kitchen project for kids, too, and a way to introduce them to some new fruits and vegetables.

Catherine at Weelicious has cracked the code for cooking with and for kids and her Smoothie Project PDF is an amazing visual resource. The recipes below were developed with the help of her template, as well as from my own experience with smoothie experimentation.

Beet and Berry Smoothie (serves 2)

  • 1 small roasted beet, plain (or quarter cup frozen chunks)
  • ½ cup mixed frozen berries
  • ¾ cup yogurt or kefir (plain, vanilla, or mixed berry flavor)
  • ½ cup milk of choice (cow’s, almond, soy)
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon hemp seeds
  • Honey to taste

Tropical Green Smoothie (serves 2)

  • ½ cup fresh or frozen mango
  • ½ frozen banana
  • ½ avocado
  • 1-2 dates, rehydrated in warm water
  • Small handful fresh baby spinach (~1 cup)
  • ¾ cup coconut milk
  • 1 tablespoon chia seeds

Sunny Day Smoothie (serves 2)

  • 1 frozen banana
  • 1 large or 2 small roasted carrots, plain
  • ¾ cup 100% orange juice
  • ¼ cup vanilla yogurt or kefir
  • 1 tablespoon ground flax seed
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger

Smoothie making top tips:

  • I prefer using frozen fruit in my smoothies in place of ice cubes (at the very least, frozen bananas). Your smoothies will be delightfully chilled, but not watered down.

  • When possible, use fresh roasted root vegetables (can be done ahead), with no oil or seasoning, for your smoothies. Simply wrap your chosen vegetable in some foil and let it roast/steam in the oven until very tender (dense beets will take longer than sliced carrots).

  • The yogurt/kefir and seeds in these recipes are both great whole food protein sources. If you’d like to amp up the protein a bit more, add your favorite nut butter or neutral protein powder of choice.

  • Smoothies are so modifiable! The milk, yogurt, and sweeteners can all be subbed or supplemented according to your specific tastes.

Need more suggestions for sneaking more nutrition into your child’s diet (or your own)? Stop by Good Foods Co-op to see me or reach out with the info below!

SAMSUNG CSC

Kathryn Dickens, RDN, is the Store Dietitian at Good Foods Coop. Call or email her to set up an appointment or pop by the store on a Wednesday afternoon, her typical “office hours.” Kathrynd@goodfoods.coop | (859) 278-1813 ext. 232