Be a Choosy Role Model with Fruits and Veggies: Give a Smoothie a Try

By: Christine Cox (aka Choosy Mom)

Some days it is tough getting your child to sit down and eat a meal, let alone a healthy and nutritious meal with the right amount of fruit and veggies. We’ve all been there. I spend an hour making a healthy dinner with my daughter attached to my leg screaming because she is “starving”. I really do feel great because I know she is going to get the right amount of fruits/veggies/meats, whatever it is that I am making, when she eats her meal. And finally, the meal is ready to eat and she decides she’s not starving anymore and runs off to play. I sit down at the table and just stare at my plate. It looks great and is healthy, but now my child, who was so hungry an hour ago, isn’t willing to take even just one bite.

It is hard to teach young children about time because when they are “starving” they want food NOW and not in an hour when it is ready. So what is a parent to do when hunger strikes?

Sometimes offering a drink is best! And if your child has been a picky eater, maybe a baby and me fruit and veggie smoothie would be a choosy choice! It won’t fill them up, but it will ensure they get a great serving of fruits and veggies!

To find out what amounts of fruits and veggies a child should be having, I’ve turned to Choosemyplate.gov. I have also found that the parent or care taker has to be a food role model. So if you make something that you don’t like, chances are your child may not like it too! But trust me, the smoothie recipe below was a winner for everyone in my house!

Thank goodness for Aimee Kleer-Gonzalez and her blog, BargainBites or I wouldn’t have ever tried, or thought to combine fruits and veggies, in a smoothie! Give this quick drink a try when dinner isn’t ready yet or even as a breakfast drink!

Baby and Me Smoothie #1 

What You Need:
1 cup Spinach
4 Strawberries (or 1 bananna or 1/2 cup frozen mangoes)
3/4 cup Plain Greek Yogurt **
1/2 cup Juice (Orange, Pear, Banana, Morning Blend, and Pineapple all work well)
1 tbsp Chia Seeds
1 cup Frozen Peaches

A short and simple list (that you can make up and change)!

To make the smoothie, just add these ingredients to the blender and blend!

It took my child a little while to decide that she liked it, but in the end, it was a winner! "Yummy, yummy in her tummy" is what I constantly heard after she took a drink! We made this for breakfast and she not only drank her smoothie, but continued to eat her breakfast as well. It wasn’t filling but it ensured she got some fruits and veggies in her diet!

Choosy would love this smoothie since it is green and nutritious! What other smoothies do you think Choosy would like? Share your recipe with us and we will be sure to give them a try! 

About the Author: Christine Cox is the blog master for Choosy Kids. She has always had a passion for writing and is honored to contribute her work to this blog. Most of her writing inspiration comes from her daughter, Capri, who is fun-loving and full of energy. Click here to learn more about Christine.