Food Culture

How To Make a Green Smoothie Your Toddler Will Love

How to make toddler green smoothie recipes

Do you feel like your toddler isn’t getting enough leafy greens in their diets because they reject every vegetable you offer them? Do you wonder how to make a green smoothie that your toddler will love? You’re not alone! Green smoothies are a healthy way to add much-needed nutrients and fiber into your toddler’s diet and we’re sharing our tips on how to get them to actually enjoy them!

Though many cultures have diet historically rich in green, leafy vegetables, many of us didn’t grow up eating kale, spinach, raw collards, etc. Am I right? Nowadays, we know our kids need a varied diet rich in plant-based nutrients, but HOW to accomplish this is our biggest hurdle. Also, because obesity is so prolific with American kids, getting our toddlers acquainted with green smoothies from an early age feels even more important.

Your Toddler Will Love Green Smoothies

Fall in love with the color green: The best part of introducing green smoothies to your toddler is that they haven’t yet learned to fear all green foods. Start now, mama! Hype up all green food and make it super cool. Many older kids will refuse to even try a green smoothie because of the color, so do your best to change the narrative now. If your toddler already has an aversion to green colored food, add ingredients that will alter the color like blue/black berries or beets. Or try using bright colored cups to obstruct the green!
Use a strong blender: Toddlers don’t like pulp! It must be a scientific fact, right? While standard blenders will work for simple smoothie recipes, high powered blenders like the Vitamix or Ninja Professional Bu thoroughly break down the fiber of greens so the smoothie is smooth.
Blend in the right order: If your toddler’s smoothie is riddled with green bits, they’re likely not slurping with joy. Little ones with developing senses are usually not keen on extra kale pulp, so the blender and methods you use are important. When making a green smoothie for my toddler, this is what I do: fill the blender with desired greens and a liquid (usually water) and blend the greens down completely, until it looks pretty much like a juice. Then you add other frozen fruits and other ingredients.
The right balance of fruits and vegetables: Fruit smoothies are sweet and most kids love them, so start with just a few kale or spinach leaves and see what your toddler thinks. Gradually add more leafy greens, including collard and chard, which tends to have a more bitter taste.
More healthy stuff to sneak in: Add protein from avocado, nut butters, powders or seeds. We always add chia seeds to our toddler’s green smoothie. We use Nutiva Organic Chia Seed which is affordable and comes in a 32-ounce bag. In the absence of fresh greens, we also like to use Green Vibrance powder, a plant-based daily superfood with probiotics.

Green Smoothie Recipe for Toddlers

Toddler friendly green smoothie recipes can contain whatever your little one loves best – but they should also include greens such as kale, spinach or chard.First add 2 to 3 cups of greens and 2 to 3 cups of liquid. Then blend until smooth. If you are adding a lot of avocado or chia seeds, you may need up to 4 cups of liquid. Then add your fruit (fresh or frozen), herbs, and superfoods. Blend again until super smooth. Taste and add more tangy fruit like citrus if the smoothie tastes bitter, or add more greens if it is too mild and then blend again.

First add 2 to 3 cups of greens and 2 to 3 cups of liquid. Then blend until smooth. If you are adding a lot of avocado or chia seeds, you may need up to 4 cups of liquid. Then add your fruit (fresh or frozen), herbs, and superfoods. Blend again until super smooth. Taste and add more tangy fruit like citrus if the smoothie tastes bitter, or add more greens if it is too mild and then blend again.

Store any leftover smoothie in a covered glass jar in your refrigerator for up to 2 days, or freeze in popsicle molds for a fun frozen treat!

Yield: about 6 to 8 cups