8 Smoothie Recipes – Tasty and Kid-Friendly

Smoothies have become incredibly popular in recent years, and it’s no wonder why. They’re quick to make, highly nutritious, and, most importantly, delicious. Here are tips for creating a well-balanced smoothie + eight of our best smoothie recipes!

Smoothies are equally popular among fitness enthusiasts and young children. Their quick preparation makes them perfect for busy individuals looking to ensure they’re getting all the necessary nutrients. Children often love them because they’re reminiscent of other refreshing drinks like milkshakes and juice, but what’s the real difference?

A smoothie is a thick fruit or vegetable drink served cold, typically consisting of three components: a liquid base, fruit/vegetables, and ice. You can also add nuts, seeds, more vegetables, frozen berries, yogurt, milk, and other dairy products. Everything is blended with a blender or food processor until it reaches the right, slightly creamy consistency.

Compared to a milkshake, a smoothie is usually far healthier and packed with nutrients. Smoothies come in all varieties. While some are suitable for breakfast, a snack, or after-school snack, others are perfect as a delicious dessert. There’s always a good time for a tasty smoothie!

Great for Giving Kids More Vitamins

If you have a picky child who avoids vegetables, a clever parental trick is to sneak some healthy ingredients into the smoothie that the child would normally refuse.
Just make sure the mix looks appetizing, as too many different ingredients at once can result in an indistinct color that doesn’t exactly awaken the taste buds. Some ingredients, like chia seeds, flaxseeds, and oats, can also have a texture that requires some getting used to. For very young children, simple flavors with a few ingredients are often best.

An overly ambitious mix of nutritious vegetables doesn’t always turn out to be a success. A smart tip is to start with a simple recipe with few ingredients and then add a new vegetable, grain, or fruit next time. Experiment and try until you find a good, well-balanced smoothie recipe that your child loves. For a little extra flair, serve the smoothie in a nice glass with a fun straw, preferably a practical and spill-proof smoothie glass with a lid. Even better is a bottle with a personalized name label. We adore our Large Name Labels for bottles especially. Extra visible and extra cute.

Let the Kids Help Make the Smoothie

Older children love to help make smoothies. It’s so fun to watch all the different ingredients get mixed together and to have a say in what goes into it. It’s also a great opportunity to teach kids about different fruits and vegetables and what’s healthy for us. Remember, the more healthy habits children learn, the more likely they are to carry them into adulthood.

What Should a Smoothie Recipe Contain?

As mentioned, smoothies come in all varieties and can be made as healthy (or unhealthy) as you wish. It’s entirely up to you and what you like! Start by choosing one or more fruits that are good sources of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Banana, apple, pineapple, berries, kiwi, orange, grapes, pear, mango, melon, and peach are some fruits that work well.

Tip: Have a banana or another fruit that’s getting overripe? Cut it up and freeze it so you can use it in a smoothie later. Ripe fruit adds more flavor to the smoothie. Then, you can add some fresh vegetables. If you don’t mind the green color, spinach and kale are excellent ingredients in a green smoothie. They offer more iron and protein than fruit and are packed with dietary fiber and folate.

Other vegetables that work well in a smoothie are cucumber, beets, carrots, zucchini, and cauliflower. Fruits and vegetables contain some protein, but to make a well-balanced smoothie, you might want to add a bit more. You can do this by making a smoothie with yogurt or adding cottage cheese, eggs, oats, nuts, and seeds. To get the right consistency, you also need to add liquid. This can be fruit juice, vegetable juice, milk (or alternatives like coconut, almond, and soy milk), green tea, water, or ice.

Here are some of our favorite smoothies (1 serving):

The Classic – Sometimes Simple is Best

Sometimes you just want a delicious and good smoothie with simple ingredients. This strawberry and banana smoothie is a classic and can be adapted as you wish.

Ingredients:
• 2.6 ounces frozen strawberries
• ½ frozen banana
• ¼ cup apple juice or orange juice
• ½ cup vanilla or plain yogurt

Power Smoothie – Perfect for Little Superheroes

Not everyone feels like eating early in the morning, and a good smoothie can be the solution. With some extra protein from cottage cheese, it’s also perfect to drink before or after a workout.

Ingredients:
• 1.8 ounces frozen strawberries
• 1.8 ounces frozen raspberries
• 3.5 ounces cottage cheese
• ½ frozen banana
• 2/3 cup your choice of milk (e.g., coconut milk, skim milk, almond milk, or vanilla milk)

Note: For making a smoothie for a baby, replace the milk with coconut milk. Smoothies can be introduced from six months and up.

Green Smoothie with Yogurt – A Real Kickstart to the Day!

Kale is an excellent vegetable for smoothies. Not only is it packed with vitamins (including K, A, and C), but it’s also a good source of calcium, potassium, fiber, magnesium, and iron.

Ingredients:
• 3.5 ounces kale
• ¾ cup tart apple juice
• 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons vanilla yogurt
• 1 banana
• 1 egg

Green Tropical Smoothie – Great on Warm Days

A healthy smoothie doesn’t have to be boring! Spinach is often called a super vegetable because it’s full of useful nutrients. With this tropical version of a green smoothie, you’re guaranteed a good start to the day.

Ingredients:
• 2 cubes frozen spinach
• 5-6 pieces frozen mango
• 8 pieces frozen pineapple
• ¾ cup tropical juice or apple juice (adjust based on how liquid you want it)

Yellow Joy – Yellow is Cool, and Super Good!

This Vitamin C bomb has a fresh and good taste, perfect as a snack throughout the day.

Ingredients:
• 3.5 ounces frozen mango
• 3.5 ounces frozen pineapple
• ¼ frozen avocado
• ½ frozen banana
• 1 cup your choice of liquid (e.g., coconut milk, coconut water, juice, or milk)

Rainbow Smoothie Bowl – A Delight for Both Eyes and Palate

Smoothie bowls are thicker than regular smoothies and eaten with a spoon. A smoothie bowl is fantastic as breakfast or dessert.

Ingredients:
• 2 bananas
• 8.8 ounces raspberries
• ½ beet
• 1 ¼ cups plain yogurt
• Fruit fitting the rainbow spectrum, such as blueberries, kiwi, pineapple, physalis, and raspberries for garnish

Method: Blend everything together with yogurt. Pour into bowls and garnish as you wish.

Mint Dream – A Delicious Taste of Summer

This smoothie takes our thoughts to the Caribbean and other warm places. A perfect mood setter and a delicious cooling drink in the summer heat.

Ingredients:
• 3.5 ounces frozen strawberries
• Mint leaves (to taste)
• Juice of ½ lime
• ¾ cup coconut milk
• 2-4 Ice cubes (optional)

A Flavorful Strawberry Smoothie – As Simple as It Gets

Sometimes we just want a convenient and flavorful smoothie. This strawberry smoothie is simple, quick, and tastes wonderful!

Ingredients:
• 10 strawberries (about 6.2 ounces)
• 1 small banana (cut into pieces)
• 3.4 ounces chilled orange juice

Peanut Chocolate Smoothie (with Coffee for Adults)

This milk-filled smoothie might not be the healthiest option, but it’s super delicious as a dessert or when you’re just craving something tasty. Add a small shot of coffee, and it tastes heavenly!

Ingredients:
• 1 frozen banana
• ½ cup your choice of milk (e.g., vanilla milk, chocolate milk, skim milk, soy milk)
• ½ teaspoon cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter (more if you love peanut butter)
• 2-4 ice cubes (optional)
• Optionally, a little coffee for adults for an extra flavor

And now, enjoy!