Smoothie Time!

Having a toddler means that there are going to be many times when the majority of a meal may end on the floor, and not in their mouth! My oldest son is almost 2, and although he is a pretty good eater, I always want to make sure that he is getting all of the nutrients that he needs. I'm guessing that he gets a far wider variety of foods than a lot of other kids do, just because I love to try new things and experiment in the kitchen, but to err on the side of caution I often like to throw a smoothie with kale or spinach etc into the mix. I also like to add a source of omega oils and DHA. Let's talk about DHA for a minute. DHA is important for many reasons.DHA plays a crucial role in the growth and development of the central nervous system as well as visual functioning in infants. Most likely you were taught to believe that fish is where DHA originates, and to get it you either need to take a fish oil supplement, or eat fish. Well it does come from fish, BUT the fish eat microalgae, and that is where they get it from. So really, the original source of DHA is actually a vegan source:) Yay!

For this smoothie I used:

1 handful of kale
1/3 cup frozen blueberries
1/4 cup frozen strawberries
1/2 a banana
1/2 cup almond milk
2 tsp Udo's oil (vegan DHA, 3,6,9  blend)

To get the smoothest result, I add the kale and almond milk to my Magic Bullet first, and blend it until the kale is pureed. I then add the other ingredients, and blend until smooth. You can use any combination of fruit that you like, and use and kind of "milk" that you prefer. You could also add a scoop of protein powder to the mix if you are looking for a protein boost. One of my favorites is Nutribiotic Rice Protein. The only ingredients are rice protein and natural vanilla flavor, one tablespoon gives you 12g of protein, and it's made with non-GMO brown rice.
Update: My new favorite protein is Manitoba Harvest Hemp Pro. And I now have a vitamix, so making smoothies with greens is so much easier! :)