Smoothies are a great first recipe for kids. For one thing, smoothies are hard to get wrong, they are quick to make, nutritious, and don’t even involve the stove. But it also gives kids a chance to experiment in the kitchen, to play with flavors, and experience the creative side of cooking. And don’t you know, kids love to be in charge.
We make smoothies a lot, for breakfast or just for an afternoon snack. We hardly ever follow real recipes, but just use what we have on hand. I like to start with either plain, vanilla, or fruit flavored yogurt. We either use a carton, or about a measuring cup full if we scoop it from a larger container. Then we add a cup or two of milk depending on if we want a thick or thin smoothie. From there we add about two cups of frozen fruit. We love mangoes and blueberries. I also freeze bananas and canned pineapple.
At this point we blend it and taste it. Sometimes we add juice to make it a little sweeter, or to help mix the flavors. Just about any will work, but our favorites are orange and pineapple.
Good healthy additions are protein powder, peanut butter, wheat germ. Additions for flavor can be a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream or orange sherbet, a spoonful or two of those flavored coffee syrups, or even chocolate or butterscotch syrup. Fruits mix well together, so it’s hard to go wrong.
Here’s one of our favorite recipes:
2 cups frozen mango chunks
1 container cherry yogurt
1 scoop vanilla ice cream (for creaminess)
2 cups milk
1 scoop of protein powder (completely optional – the mama just likes to sneak in nutrition)
Flax seeds or oil (also optional and snuck in for the same reasons)
Blend until it’s smooth, pour into glasses and enjoy.
More on Cooking With Kids:
A First Muffin for Kids to Cook
Cooking With Kids – Fruit Salad