Super Simple Green Smoothies (Guest Post)

Veggies and kids. For some of us, this is a battle and today, we are excited to have Michelle from Petit Organics share some super simple green smoothie ideas for moms AND kids.

SUPER
SIMPLE GREEN SMOOTHIES FOR MOMS AND KIDDOS

As a mother of three growing boys, I catch myself
saying “eat your veggies” a little too much – three children, three meals a day
– you do the math. The phrase must come out of my mouth nine times a day at
least. Gasp! I have officially become my mother. We all know how important
leafy greens are for our little ones’ growing bodies, but it is a rare child
indeed who specifically requests vegetables. Need some ideas to help your
munchkins get their greens every day? Try sneaking greens into smoothies. My
boys have 8-ounce smoothies every morning at breakfast. Half of their daily-required
veggies are knocked out in one smoothie – can’t beat that!

Read on for two green (and insanely delicious)
smoothies that both moms and children will devour. Serve them with breakfast, lunch or as a
snack. You can also easily freeze them in popsicle molds during the warmer
months for a cool treat.

THE
SUPER SPINACH SMOOTHIE

It is no surprise that like most leafy greens, spinach
is packed with nutrients. One cup of raw spinach contains over half of
the daily requirement of Vitamin A for children. It is also overflowing with
Protein, Iron, Potassium and Calcium. Spinach is particularly rich in
antioxidants whether consumed raw, steamed or boiled. Your foodies-in-training
may even get a giggle out of this little known spinach fact: It is a part of
the “goosefoot” vegetable group because of its shape!

Ingredients:

· 1 ripe banana, peeled

· 1 ½ cups fresh spinach leaves, rinsed

· 1 cup fresh or frozen berries

· Filtered water (1/3 – 2 cups
depending on preference)

Preparation:

Place all ingredients into your Nuk Smoothie
& Baby Food Maker. Add water to cover approximately 1/3 of the vegetables
and fruit. Blend for 30-45 seconds until smooth. Pour into cups and serve.

PURPLE KALE AND PEAR SMOOTHIE

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past
two years, you must be clued into the great and powerful kale leaf. One of the
most abundant super foods available, it is loaded with Vitamins K, A and C. Its
extraordinary health benefits include fighting cancer, detoxifying the liver,
carotenoids that promote optimism and even turning on genes to promote a longer
life. In short, this veggie should be a regular in your child’s diet at least
2-3 times per week and a smoothie is the perfect way to serve it!

Ingredients:

· 2 kale leaves (curly or Tuscan
varietals), rinsed and ribs removed

· 1 red delicious apple, cored with
skin on

· 1 pear (bosc, d’anjou or Asian),
cored with skin on

· 4 leaves fresh mint

· Juice from half a lemon

· ½ cup water

· 1 tablespoon hemp or chia seeds

Preparation:
Place the first six ingredients into your Nuk Smoothie & Baby Food Maker.
Blend on high 30-45 seconds until smooth. Poor into cups, stir in hemp or chia
seeds and serve.

Don’t
forget to have fun with your green smoothie recipes – get creative by adding
unique foods like chia seeds, cocoa powder, papaya, mango and even dates. Simply
adding banana or pineapple will mask any green vegetable flavor. Banana and
pineapple flavor cut the bitter greens taste, making delicious smoothies for
even the pickiest of eaters. Cheers to a healthy 2014!

Raised in Texas with a down home Southern upbringing, Michelle Muller-Marinis grew up with a passion for food and cooking. After moving to NYC and beginning a family of her own, Michelle realized the importance of fresh, healthy baby food – she discovered her little ones were always happiest with a spoonful of homemade food in their mouths. She is the founder of Petit Organics, the nation’s first fresh baby food delivery service. Most recently, while working in the food industry, Michelle realized one recurring challenge parents everywhere face is the daily struggle to make healthier meals and snacks for their children. Dissatisfied with other online resources, Michelle set out to build a website to help parents and families get back on track – that is when Silver Spoon was born! It is the ultimate resource for modern families trying to balance their schedules with clean, nourishing food. Silver Spoon offers how to videos, resources and recipes for every stage of family-building from pre-pregnancy all the way through baby, toddler, adolescent and adulthood. Most importantly, Michelle is a mom of three boys, Pearce, Rylan and Brandt in NYC.