The morning hustle can be tough. Clothes, teeth, hair, get downstairs, breakfast, make lunches, where’s my coat, my shirt is the wrong color, what time is it, I need my sunglasses! (yes, beloved child had to have these this morning on a cloudy winter day). You get it, it’s busy.
Mornings, for us, aren’t a time to be experimenting with what our toddler will or won’t eat. For the last year we’ve found, in my humble opinion, the ultimate toddler (any kid really) breakfast food—the smoothie. When I talk about this with friends or family, they mention it’s a good idea but hard to execute. It’s intimidating. What do I put in it? Will they eat it? My answers are: anything and yes.
The basic recipe is protein-packed yogurt and frozen fruit, but you can mix and match just about anything to create variety and a complete morning meal that you can feel good about kicking your kid’s day and metabolism into gear. Two recommendations to make the smoothie breakfast work. First, invest in a magic bullet! We’ve had ours for 7 years, and I use it almost every day. Smoothies, sauces, hummus, marinades, this kitchen wouldn’t function without this thing. And who wants to always haul out (and clean) a clunky blender? Nobody. Secondly, make enough for two smoothies, or the entire 16 oz. container that comes with the bullet. (this isn’t sponsored I’m just in love with the magic bullet!)
Basic Kid-Friendly Smoothie Recipe:
½-1 cup frozen fruit of any kind (we often use raspberries, strawberries, peaches, blueberries, or mango)
½ cup full fat Greek yogurt. Usually I use plain but sometimes mix in some vanilla. Go easy on it though, lots of sugar.
½ avocado
½ banana
Enough liquid to fill the container once you’ve added other ingredients. Probably ½ cup. I usually use water because my kid guzzles enough milk, but you could use milk, almond milk, water, orange juice, whatever you want.
Optional: a handful of spinach, ¼ cup coconut milk, 1 tablespoon of chia seeds
Directions: Add all ingredients to the magic bullet—it’s usually easiest to put yogurt in first. Don’t worry too much about measuring, but do make sure you fill the container completely with ingredients and then top with liquid so it creates a nice smooth and rich texture. Blend completely, 1-2 minutes. This stainless steel thermos works well even for thick smoothies and young toddlers. C eats half of this recipe, and I pop half in the fridge for the next day. Wishing you breakfast and morning success!
