The Little Green Drink
I have this absolutely fabulous way of getting more green into you and your little one's diets! I started making this drink about three years ago after reading an article in my Above Rubies magazine. At first the kids balked a little at the sight of it (it usually turns out slightly greyish!) but after a time of two of "forced drinkings" they have come to truly enjoy and look forward to their green shakes! I encourage you to experiment and use whatever your family enjoys. My shakes vary depending on what I have on hand and what mood I am in but here are the basics:
* load a blender with berries (about a cup (?) of fresh or frozen strawberries, blueberries, blackberries or a combination)
* put in a banana or two or three(now is the time to use up those almost rotten ones no one will touch-- I usually freeze them when they get to the point of no return and then use the frozen ones in my shakes--p.s. if you have never frozen bananas before, I strongly recommend peeling them first!)
* fill the blender with spinach, kale, parsley or whatever other greens you have on hand
* use milk, water, orange juice, pineapple juice (I used canned pineapple juice and the pineapple chunks) or whatever flavor you want for some added liquid
* add 1 TBSP or so of flax meal
* add a bit of spirulina powder (go easy at first--I started with 1/2 tsp.!)
* add plain or flavored yogourt
Blend until smooth adding liquid until it is the consistency you like-- spoonable or drinkable or (my kids favorite) drink thru a straw-able!
I usually don't have to add any sweetener at all...it is usually plenty sweet with the bananas and juice but I have added honey or stevia if I think it needs a little more sweetening.
Also, it you haven't yet been introduced to the wonderful stevia and spirulina and flax-- don't let that prevent you from making a shake with berries and spinach...you will still be leaps and bounds of nutrients ahead of where you were yesterday.
This is super-yummy and you can feel oh so good about feeding it to your little ones and they will love it! We usually have it with our breakfast or as an afternoon snack. You will be amazed at how filling this little drink is! If you are excited about it they will be too (with older ones it may take a little more convincing when they see the greyish color but I PROMISE they will be smiling with little greyish-green shake mustaches before long!) I even mix up Boden's baby cereal with this in it most mornings!
Happy Experimenting!
* load a blender with berries (about a cup (?) of fresh or frozen strawberries, blueberries, blackberries or a combination)
* put in a banana or two or three(now is the time to use up those almost rotten ones no one will touch-- I usually freeze them when they get to the point of no return and then use the frozen ones in my shakes--p.s. if you have never frozen bananas before, I strongly recommend peeling them first!)
* fill the blender with spinach, kale, parsley or whatever other greens you have on hand
* use milk, water, orange juice, pineapple juice (I used canned pineapple juice and the pineapple chunks) or whatever flavor you want for some added liquid
* add 1 TBSP or so of flax meal
* add a bit of spirulina powder (go easy at first--I started with 1/2 tsp.!)
* add plain or flavored yogourt
Blend until smooth adding liquid until it is the consistency you like-- spoonable or drinkable or (my kids favorite) drink thru a straw-able!
I usually don't have to add any sweetener at all...it is usually plenty sweet with the bananas and juice but I have added honey or stevia if I think it needs a little more sweetening.
Also, it you haven't yet been introduced to the wonderful stevia and spirulina and flax-- don't let that prevent you from making a shake with berries and spinach...you will still be leaps and bounds of nutrients ahead of where you were yesterday.
This is super-yummy and you can feel oh so good about feeding it to your little ones and they will love it! We usually have it with our breakfast or as an afternoon snack. You will be amazed at how filling this little drink is! If you are excited about it they will be too (with older ones it may take a little more convincing when they see the greyish color but I PROMISE they will be smiling with little greyish-green shake mustaches before long!) I even mix up Boden's baby cereal with this in it most mornings!
Happy Experimenting!
Labels: recipes
posted by As For Me and My House | 7:43 PM
2 Comments:
Sounds good! We usually can't keep bananas on hand long enough for them to go squishy!! But I will try the shakes during the summer, especially when we get extra greens in our Happy Box (organic produce delivery).
I can attest to it's yummyness(new word)! Is this a new meaning for "going green"? MiMi
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