My grandmother, a former nurse and a lover of natural, healthy foods, taught me the importance of a good breakfast. Growing up she would make my sisters and I protein smoothies every morning. It’s been a habit I’ve kept up most of my life. Now that I have kids of my own I’m instilling this healthy habit in them too.
Reason #1 that I love smoothies for breakfast is that they are EASY. Put the ingredients into the blender and voila!
Reason #2: It’s an on-the-go kind of breakfast. For young kids, that’s the kind of breakfast they’ll actually eat. And for older kids, it’s perfect to take on their way out the door to school.
Reason #3: It’s a great way to add healthy ingredients they might not eat otherwise.
Reason #4: It has great fiber! No one wants to deal with a constipated child. I have learned from experience that this is quite horrible haha.
This is the green smoothie recipe that I make most often for my children. This recipe makes enough for 3 people- 2 kids and 1 adult. I’ll poor the smoothie into two 8oz cups for my kids. Then, I’ll add Orgain Vanilla Bean Protein Powder (this link gets your 30% off) to what’s left in the blender. After blending I’ll poor it into a cup for me!
These are our favorite smoothie cups for kids! For years I would search for the cheapest options. I finally invested in these nice cups and let me tell you.. SO WORTH IT. They clean so easily and they’re not cold on their little hands. Also my son has thrown these from the high chair many times and they’re totally fine. They have a straw stopper and they’re just super cute!
Here are the benefits of each of the ingredients:
SPINACH: has antimicrobial properties, aids in hydrates and boots immune system. It’s also high in fiber.(1)
BANANAS: are rich in potassium and “research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by increasing a student’s ability to stay on task and be more alert.” (2)
MANGOS: have many beneficial digestive enzymes and glutamine acid which boosts brain functions and improves memory. (3)
FLAXSEED OIL: is AMAZING. Read all of the incredible benefits here. Just to name a couple: it is high in omegas which support brain health and high in protein.
Green smoothies can set your kids’ day up for success! My children love this recipe and hope yours will too!