smoothies ?

[lilly_kitt]

Hi

Tyler is 15 months old and picky doesn't even start to describe him, he loves anything in breadcrumbs, fish fingers, turkey dinosaurs etc.  he will eat sweetcorn and peas, basically anything he can pick up and feed himself.  I desperately worried he's not getting enough nutrients and was thinking smoothies might be the way to go.  so does anyone have any tasty, nutrious smoothie ideas, also would they be ok to give in a sippy cup with lid ?

Thanks

Sarah
x

[~inbalance~]

Oh yes, my DS1 loves smoothies!! 

We use:
yogurt
frozen fruit (I like mango and wild blueberries)
banana and/or pear, avocado works too
baby spinach
hemp or rice protein powder
fish oil (for omegas, you can't even taste it)
psyllium fiber
almond milk and juice (pure if you want to use it, or just omit if you don't want him having juice yet)

Other healthy things you can put in them include flaxseed or flaxseed oil (for omegas), probiotics, or salba.  Plus whatever fruits you like.
It might help to talk to a naturopath first though before adding a whole bunch of different supplements, just to make sure the ones you use are appropriate for children, kwim?

[skatty]

Leorah has always loved smoothies, we make them with yoghurt and frozen fruit so they are thick and ice cream like and we also add spinach and call it a "shrek smoothie"  You can also add an omega supplement, it goes down much easier in a smoothie!

[Hester]

amen to the above.

Milk and or yoghurt
Frozen fruit
fresh banana, mango (for creaminess)
spinach, avocado, carrots, beets (if I want to sneak in veggies, not too much though, they will ovepower)
flaxseed
Fish oil

sometimes juice if I'm nice...

[~inbalance~]

Oooh beets!  Good one Hester, I've been trying to think of more veggies to put in there!  Do you cook them first, or do they puree up easily without being cooked?  And can you taste them?

[kikoz]

Hey, great ideas here!
We put:
Yogurt
Banana
Dates- excellent natural nutrients
Cornflakes- since he likes the taste
Frozen fruits

He may prefer them in a straw.

You can always pour them in ice cube molds, and stick wooden (cut chop)sticks and freeze the (or use ice cream molds)
And offer them as deserts or snacks that he can suck on like lollies.

Bananas may not be a good idea to freeze though!

Enjoy!

[Hester]

i use leftover beets from dinners, so I do cook or roast them first... it makes the smoothie nice red... or sometimes pink.

You do taste them a bit, just make sure they don't overpower

[deb]

For the longest time Natalie wouldn't eat breakfast, so she drank it. Now I'm the one making smoothies for myself for breakfast many mornings, although the girls could have them just as easily.

And totally YES to making popsicles out of the smoothie mix!

For dairy allergies/intolerances, you can use coconut milk for a smoother creamier texture.

[nona]

we also make lots of smoothies

sara - for sippy cups you just need the smoothie to be thin enough to suck up thru the straw or you could make the sippy cup whole bigger.

for myself i use chocolate protein powder, decaf coffee for a mocha or do chocolate, peanut butter and banana, etc. or just fruit smoothies w/ protein powder. i just made myself a vanilla protein powder w/ peanut butter and banana!

is the fish oil you add a capsule or liquid?  spinach and avocados are a great idea i need to remember that one especially for st patrick's day!!!!

dates are good today. do you chop up first?

i make a lot of yogurt parfaits too (yogurt layered with fruit). it is fun to put chocolate or rainbow sprinkles or flax seed meal on top for a little treat!

[~inbalance~]

I use liquid fish oil, making sure it's pharmaceutical grade as not all fish oils are good quality.

[Jiinx]

awesome ideas and tips here. Here are some more from karen's thread:

* http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=184239.0

[Hester]

I use a capsule and poke it...

and yes, make sure they are pharmaceutical grade!

[skatty]

We do freeze bananas! They actually make a great soft ice if you blend them up or make the smoothies thick, the trick is tp use them quite quickly because they eventually blacken, I usually freeze them and use them the next day.

Can I ask how you ladies add flaxseeds, I add them to mine but they are really grainiy, I don't think Leorah would like it 

[~inbalance~]

Katt, can you find ground flaxseeds/flaxseed meal?  Or flaxseed oil.

[kikoz]

nona ............dates- well depends which ones you buy, but it is best to boil water and mix them till they become like dough. or if they are the soft sticky type, you can simply mash them up