This green smoothie is packed with leafy nutrition and is a great base for adding other secret ingredients that boost your kids' energy!
Interesting title, huh? This is part of Judah's breakfast practically every morning. Judah is a great eater, but I have found it difficult to get enough green veggies into him each day. He loves carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, etc. But, when it comes to the leafy greens, I just can't figure him out.
It was a while ago that I first heard about the Green Monster movement. I decided to give it a try for Judah. He had enjoyed regular fruit smoothies many times before, so I had a strong feeling that this would go over well, which it did. He pretty much begs for this daily.
I love that the spinach is evident by a beautiful green color, yet doesn't impact the flavor of the smoothie hardly at all. The combination of pure fruit, leafy greens and orange juice makes this a very beneficial and healthy meal option, or a snack. And, by using already frozen fruit, there is no need to add ice.
Judah drinks an entire travel cup of this every day and still asks for more. I bought him a cheap straw cup for $3.99 at Bed, Bath and Beyond, so he thinks he's a big boy and carries it everywhere with him while he plays with his toys and watches Sesame Street.
You can use any type of leafy green, but I've found spinach is the least taste altering. My brother-in-law has gone over the top with his smoothies this summer. Almost every day on Facebook I would see him post his latest strange concoction of beets, sweet potatoes, bananas, berries, almond milk and kale. I would tease him about it and we would share combinations. But, I could never go as crazy as he. This Green Monster smoothie combination I'm giving you may not include your daily fill of nutrition like my brother-in-law's, but it sure is healthy and tastefully fulfilling.
*Note: You can basically use any combination of frozen fruit, however, if you use other colors like red raspberries or strawberries, your smoothie will turn brown. It will still taste good, though.
Recipe Card
Green Monster Smoothies
Ingredients
- Handful of fresh baby spinach
- Handful of frozen diced pineapple
- Handful of frozen sliced peaches or diced mango
- 1 banana , peeled and cut up
- 1 cup orange juice (or more as needed)
Instructions
- Dump all ingredients into a blender and puree until smooth and at desired drinking texture. Add more orange juice as needed, to allow the ingredients to blend. Pour into individual servings cups.
- *Note: Any combination of fruit may be used according to your tastes. Other leafy greens besides spinach can also be used. You may also add other nutritional ingredients such as ground flax seed, wheat germ, etc. The above recipe reflects my favorite combination.
- Source: Adapted from Annie's Eats
Nutrition
