Sneaky Saturday Smoothie

How do you get an independent toddler to eat his veggies?  I believe this is a question that every mother across the planet has asked at some point.  Our sweet babies who were once interested in any food because it was new and exciting soon gain their own opinion.  This extends beyond veggies to nearly everything under the sun.  Should we play outside?  No.  Do you want to color?  No.  It's time for a bath.  No.  You need to eat your green beans. No, no, no.

In addition to "turning two" a good three months early, Jett has also been on a very picky food jag.  It's nearly impossible to guess what he will eat, and he's just on the tipping point of being able to communicate what he wants.  I felt myself starting to get upset over lunch yesterday when he refused to eat anything accept sweet potato chips, but instead of allowing myself to get frustrated, I got creative. 

One thing Jett has always been very interested in are smoothies.  When he sees the blender or food processor come out he gets very excited.  Straws are also a really big novelty right now.  So with that in mind I broke out the food processor and made a very sneaky smoothie that included a huge helping of fresh spinach, frozen raspberries and a banana.  Here is the recipe (kind of, I didn't measure so within reason just eyeball it.)

1/2 cup ice
1 cup orange juice
1 1/2 cup fresh spinach
1 banana
3 oz low-fat vanilla yogurt
3/4 cup raspberries (frozen or fresh)

Blend ice and orange juice until frothy.  Add spinach and puree.  Add banana and yogurt for a smooth texture and additional nutrition. (Jett wouldn't eat the banana I cut up for him so I just threw it in.)  Finally blend in 3/4 cup raspberries.  The more raspberries you add the better the color will be.

This sneaky smoothie was a huge hit, not only with kiddo but with mommy as well.  I gave Jett a huge bowl full with a spoon at lunch, and he finished off the rest in a cup with a straw at snack.  Spinach is incredibly nutritious, and I really like it, but many people don't because of its dark earthy, slightly bitter flavor.  However, when added with citrus it brightens and in this smoothie was impossible to distinguish from the other great flavors. 

I can't say that I blame Jett for not being in the mood for veggies.  Sometimes I'm not really in the mood for veggies, but I think I'm on to something here...

Do you have a smoothie recipe that you love?  Please post back and share!