I don’t diet. I try not to go too overboard, and I try to eat foods I can pronounce but I don’t weigh or measure anything (including myself. So there.) A few years ago, when my husband and I both realized I need my Alone Time or I get cranky and scare him a little, I figured I’d better start running or I’d end up at the Dairy Queen every day instead (or, more likely, the bar next to it.) So I run (very, very slowly) so I can get a little…well, peace and quiet. Ahem.
So no diets, but every January I feel the need to throw a few fruits and veggies down my gullet to counteract a month of nothing but peppermint Jo-Jos. We have a few more salads. We make smoothies. They help us feel healthier, and somehow those bright, natural colors perk me up in a month when the weather is drab and gray and cold.
Kale is one of those veggies that seems impossibly good for you, so I figured I should eat some. I tried making kale crisps once but they tasted like burnt grass (or worse, if you ask my kids). Then I tried a kale-pineapple smoothie that was bright green and when I gave it to my 11-year old, he did that baby-thing where the food goes in and back out of their mouth all at once. Then he spent five minutes wiping his tongue with a paper towel. And a washcloth. And brushing it. So clearly, this was going to take a bit more work.
Enter the kale smoothie. Full of good things your doctor nags you to eat. Blueberries. Citrus. Kale. And yummy enough that my son had seconds. I win!
I’ve made the kids a kale smoothie for each of the past three days now, and each time everyone’s finished them all up. I made twice as much as the recipe, but I had to make it in batches in order to fit everything in the blender (mostly because we have an ancient blender we scored at a thrift store for $3. If you’ve got a $400 Williams-Sonoma blender with twelve settings, you might be okay doing it all at once.)
Also? Only three ingredients. So simple. Make one up for breakfast, or for after-school snacks, or whatnot.
I really feel like there should be a #kidsdrinkingsmoothies hashtag on Instagram, you know? That’s something that never gets old.
Ingredients
- 1 c frozen kale
- 3/4 c frozen mixed berries
- 1 1/4 c orange juice
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a blender.
- Pulse until smooth.
- Serve.
- Makes four servings.
Thank you for visiting Peace but Not Quiet! Be sure to sign up for the newsletter and get a free printable — “31 Ways to Connect With Your Kids.”
We start every day (after my walk-with-friends sanity saving time) with either a kale or a spinach smoothie, and my kids, like yours, gulp them down.
I’m seconding your #kidsdrinkingsmoothies hashtag…….let’s get it going on Twitter this week!
haha! I’d love that!