Looking for a fun and easy solutions to add more nutrients to your child’s diet? Me too. My first mini new years goal is to increase the amount of fruits and veggies that my family eats. Looking for creative strategies, I decided to use fruit smoothies loaded with green leafy vegetables like spinach and kale. I wanted to include this as a snack or breakfast routine every day for me and my toddler, but I found that I always end up making too much smoothie, inevitably wasting some, getting lazy on cleanup and then hesitant to start all over again the next day when the blender is still dirty in the dishwasher.
I could see the writing on the wall – I was not going to keep up with this routine – even for my week’s goal – unless I found an innovative solution. Then it hit me, why not freeze serving sized portions use the silicon trays I had leftover from my attempt at making baby food. This significantly cuts down the number of times per week that I need to use the blender.
You can use any smoothie recipe of your choice, but I have included a super yummy favorite for you to try. Instead of ice, I prefer to use frozen fruit so that the smoothie is more nutritionally dense. Smoothies are also great for “hiding” other vitamins and supplements, like probiotics. Just stir in any powdered or liquid supplements before serving.
I hope you find this frozen smoothie method helpful in keeping your family healthy and happy. Here’s to a wonderful new year!
- 1 banana
- 2 cups of juice (I used orange and white grape)
- 2-3 cups of leafy greens (I used spinach and kale)
- 3-4 cups frozen fruit (I used blueberries, strawberries and mango)
- Peel and chop a ripe banana into 1-inch sections. Place banana and juice in the blender and process until smooth.
- Add 2-3 cups of leafy greens and process on high for 1-2 minutes until liquefied.
- Add ½ cup of frozen fruit at a time, stirring as needed until the smoothie is thick, smooth and creamy.
- Enjoy the fruit of your labor and pour your family one serving to slurp immediately!
- Freeze the remaining smoothie in serving sized portions using freezing trays, such as the silicon freezing trays with lids made for baby food.
- After 24 hours, you can pop out the frozen smoothie portions and store them in the freezer in a gallon or quart sized freezer bag or Tupperware container. This frees up your tray for other smoothies or projects.
- When ready to serve, put one or two smoothie portions in a cup and let it partially thaw on the counter about 15 to 30 minutes. Use a fork to break up the smoothie and stir until smooth. Remember to add any supplements you need. Serve and enjoy while it is still cold.
- If you don’t have silicon freezer trays, try using a traditional ice cube tray or small reusable Tupperware.
- Substitute a vegetable juice, like celery juice, for fruit juice to lower the sugar content of your smoothie.
i love sneaking veggies into smoothies!! 🙂 🙂
Me too!! Especially the green leafy kind since I find they’re the hardest to get kids to eat. I’ve even been putting some carrot juice and a celery stick in this week… masked with blueberries and orange juice.
Great idea! My kids would actually like these and so would I. I really like that silicon tray. What a great idea!
Thanks, LaVonne! Hope you get a chance to try it out.
This looks so good. i love that you can sneak veggies into the smoothie!
I know, I love that too, Tammilee! I’ve even been putting some carrot juice and a celery stick in this week… masked with blueberries and orange juice.
I’ve been experimenting with smoothies lately. I love the idea of sneaking in veggies. 🙂
Donna, try adding one stick of celery. I put it in at the beginning with just the juice and banana and let it really break down. I’ve also been adding a splash of 100% carrot juice for the vitamin A!
Ohhh smart idea!!!!
Luckily, my daughter LOVES fruits and veggies… as long as they are raw. I eat a good amount myself, but may try this for me 🙂
I love this idea. What a great way to get the kids to eat veggies.
I have never thought about pre-making single serve smoothies. Making smoothies always seems like such a chore, so we do it once in a blue moon. But I could totally make EXTRA! #MindBlown 🙂
Jen, I know! I was super impressed with myself when I thought of it!!
oh my wow! What a great idea! My kids LOVE smoothies but I don’t make them as often as I should because clean up is a pain. I never even considered single serving frozen….duh!
It’s the little things that make life easier, isn’t it?
I do this too! Only way to get them to eat the “green stuff”. =P
My kids love smoothies. It is so smart to sneak veggies into them!
I know! And if you use dark fruit like blueberries it totally covers up the “evidence” of the green!
My kids are not big veggie eaters. I need to try this!
I’m all for sneaking in extra veggies!
I usually make two adult size smoothies at a time, and freeze one in a tupperware container for the next day. It helps me keep to my plan of getting more fruit in ME>
Great idea!, Karen! How do you thaw it to get it the right texture/temperature/consistency the next day?
I just take it out of the freezer and put it on the counter. By lunch time it is slushy.
Cool! Good to know, thanks for the tip.
We always add veggies to our smoothies! K helps me do it too! Yum!
I LOVE IT!! HIDE THOSE VEGGIES ANYWAY YOU CAN, BUT GET THEM IN THE TUMMY!!
I loved this idea so much that I not only started to sneak veggies into smoothies for my boy but also for my hubby! He has no idea I put veggies he hates inside! 🙂 yet he still smiles and saids he love them!
Score!!
I love your freezer tray! I have been trying to make my kids eat/drink more veggies and fruits so this is a great idea!
Thanks!! I think you can find ones like it at William Sonoma, Babies R Us or Bye, Bye Baby. Also check out Amazon for silicon freezer trays with lids. Good luck!!
Will have to make these for the kids and us! Sneaky way to get their veggies in!