While the school year comes to the end, the weather heats up and kids begin to celebrate.  As we all know, school celebrations equal many eating opportunities or should I say more opportunities to eat inferior “kid friendly foods“.  Today, I volunteered to make smoothies for my daughters Pre-K and K class at our local Montessori school.

Of course, I used my idea of kid friendly foods- beets, spinach, carrots, chia seeds, blueberries, strawberries, banana, apple juice and watermelon.  It was a hit.  The smoothies were also served with a homemade pineapple popsicle (see picture and directions below or just click on this link for an easy recipe).

Comments I heard today that made me smile:

“I want a kale smoothie.”

“Can you put a carrot in mine?”

“Can I eat the berries?”

“Can I have more?”

“Can I eat the watermelon?”

Printable Recipe

Kid Friendly Smoothie (Veggies and Fruit)
Author: 
 

Dairy free, gluten free, wheat free, nut free
Ingredients
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 tbsp chia seeds
  • ¼ beet
  • 1.5 banana
  • 1 cup frozen strawberries
  • .5 cup blueberries
  • ½ cup frozen spinach
  • ½ cup apple juice
  • handful of ice

Instructions
  1. Blend all ingredients in your industrial grade blender.

 

If you are looking for an easy homemade popsicle that is essentially mess free, cut up a pineapple into long thick slices.  Put the slice on a popsicle stick and freeze!  The kids loved it and came back for more.  An easy solution for a cold treat FREE of artificial ingredients.

They found the JELLO!!  My children had their choice of sugar free (AKA sweetened with artificial sugar) orange or strawberry with a side of artificial colorings.  Sorry but gag me, please!!! I smiled and let them have their JELLO. Today is a different story.

We made homemade Mango Gelatin full of Vitamin C, Vitamin A and B6!  No artificial colorings or sweeteners to poison their little bodies.  EASY!  If you do not like mango, just try another fruit of choice.  Don’t forget to serve with a slice of cheese or top with yogurt.  The vitamin C in mango will help your child absorb the calcium in the cheese and yogurt.

Ingredients:

  • 4 envelopes of unflavored Original Gelatine.
  • 4 cups 100% mango juice or any flavor juice but watch out for high fructose corn syrup and other artificial additives in your juices.
  • 1 cup pureed fresh or frozen mango (optional- gives a creamy texture and more nutrition)
  • 2 tbsp honey or sugar (infants below one year should not have honey)- optional
  • Fresh sliced fruit for garnish.

Directions:

  • Chill one cup of juice until ice cold.
  • Put ice cold juice in a large pot and sprinkle gelatin over it.  Let set for at least 1 minute.
  • Boil 3 cups of juice and add sugar/honey.
  • Puree 1 cup fresh or frozen mango until really thin.  Add it to boiling juice and bring back to boil.
  • Add hot juice to gelatin and mix.
  • Pour into cups, bowls or baking pan.
  • Add sliced strawberries to gelatin.
  • Chill until firm.
  • Store in refrigerator.

 

If you love my Frozen Pineapple on a Stick and Frozen Peanut Butter and Chocolate Banana Bites, you will love this easy treat too!  Since I have introduced eating on stick, my children have go bonkers for this form of eating.  It is a great way to offer different foods in a fun way!

 

Frozen Mango on a Stick:  Just peel, slice, stick and freeze.  Freeze on a cookie sheet for 4 hours and store in a large zip lock bag.