5 Superfood Smoothie Add Ins For Kids

Smoothies have been an absolute Godsend as I raise toddlers. I am constantly worried about their nutritional intake even though everyone says I need to relax. I still worry. 

It’s all about the healthy smoothie add-ins that can add a huge nutritional punch to the base of any smoothie. I like to choose one or two of these smoothie add-ins each time I hit blend. 

To see my favorite eco-friendly toddler smoothie cups, check it out here.

5 Superfood Smoothie Add-Ins

I like to keep each of these ingredients on hand even if I am not using them each time I make a toddler drink. So let’s get to the list! 

Hemp Hearts

I know what you might be thinking……Hemp hearts in smoothies? What is a hemp heart? 

A hemp heart is a shelled hemp seed that is loaded with nutritional value and they are my #1 add-in.

 Hemp Seed Smoothie Benefits

These powerful little seeds are a great source of plant-based protein and are rich in folate, iron, and vitamin B6. They are gluten-free. 

I love that I can add a punch of protein (nearly 10 grams per 3 tablespoons) to any drink without sacrificing taste and thickness. A hemp seed smoothie is a very powerfully protein-filled drink, which is why it comes #1 on my list.

These are the hemp hearts I like to buy. You can also buy them at any local grocery store but sometimes they are harder to find at times.

Avocado

There is something so satisfying about adding avocados into the blender. I love buying the frozen avocados from Costco because they make the smoothie cold without adding ice or frozen fruit if you are just making an avocado and banana smoothie. 

A lot of my avocado-based smoothies include either bananas, oats, or spinach. These ingredients are typically never frozen. This is why I love the frozen avocados.

Avocado and Banana Smoothie Benefits

I like to pair avocados and bananas together to add a little sweetness to the smoothie. Avocados by themselves are too bland. You could do an avocado and berry smoothie too.

Avocados are high in Vitamin C, E, K, and B6. They are also high in potassium just like bananas are. My favorite nutritional thing I love about avocados is they contain Omega-3 fatty acids. Hello, healthy brain development!

Spinach

Is this smoothie add-in obvious? 

I had to include it because it is truly a superfood in my opinion. Adding spinach in smoothies knocks out the pressure for your toddlers to eat every vegetable given to them at dinnertime. 

Can I get a yes and amen?! For some reason, this just takes a little pressure off of me. 

I love a yummy spinach smoothie myself because of the nutritional value that it offers. 

My oldest son’s legs were bruising very easily and it got me thinking about his iron consumption. He was not getting enough. I looked into adding spinach into his morning smoothie and haven’t looked back since. 

Spinach Smoothie Benefits

Spinach naturally has a good amount of folate, Vitamin K, and has Vitamin C. The reason why I love it so much for smoothies is the magnesium and iron benefits though. 

Flax Seed Meal 

The focus here is “meal.” I found great success with buying ground-up flaxseed meal for smoothies and it made the taste and consistency much better than buying whole flax seeds.

My favorite flaxseed meal is by Bob’s Red Mill and it has to be refrigerated. 

I was turned off by this at first because I kept buying whole seeds and the outer shells were so teeny tiny they kept leaving a gritty texture to the smoothie. This is not okay for the picky toddler! 

 Benefits of Flaxseed Meal

Smoothie recipes with flax seeds help with digestion because of their high fiber content. This is great in the morning for anyone, but especially kiddos with any digestive troubles. 

They are also loaded with Omega-3’s which is great for overall body and heart health. 

Bee Pollen

This one makes my heart happy. Bee pollen is such a huge game player in the superfood space. The benefits of bee pollen in smoothies are literally like gold in the food world. 

There are a variety of uses for bee pollen so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that adding a small amount to a smoothie comes as a use!

Many of you may be thinking, really? Bee pollen in smoothies? Yes. Just trust me yes. 

Local Bee Pollen Benefits

The main reason I love bee pollen is for its anti-inflammatory properties! It also contains protein (2 grams per tablespoon) which I won’t turn down especially if it is for my toddler!

Word on the street says taking bee pollen can also help with seasonal allergies due to the anti-inflammatory properties but that hasn’t been proven (don’t quote me)!

*Potential Bee Pollen Side Effects: *This is important to note* 

While bee pollen allergies are rare they need to be disclosed and ingesting bee pollen could cause a reaction such as hives, swelling, shortness of breath, etc. 

Also important to note: Bee pollen can interfere if you are taking medication for blood clots called warfarin. 

A Healthy Smoothie Recipe For Toddlers

Simple Green Smoothie

• One handful of spinach
• 1 Tsp. bee pollen
• 1 Frozen banana
• ¼ cup vanilla greek yogurt
• Milk to consistency
• 1 Tsp. honey to sweeten

 

THE REAL MVP

I want to tell you about my blender. I am going to geek out about my blender for one hot minute.

First. Here is my sob story. I bought a $39.99 Ninja blender from Walmart and it broke 5 days later. Should I be surprised? No. 

Was I really pissed off? Yes. I hate wasting money and buying cheap crap. 

I have ALWAYS wanted to buy a Vitamix blender but was always too scared to make the purchase. I think I was angry enough to make the decision that I would never buy a crappy blender again.

 I finally went to the Vitamix website and did my research on which machine I wanted to make an investment on. After months of research and waiting to actually pull the trigger, I decided on the Vitamix 5200 Series Blender.

It’s white which is a huge reason why I love it. It also has a 64 oz container which makes a large amount of whatever you are making. Making a healthy Vitamix smoothie is an experience let me tell you! 

 I fully enjoy watching the magic happen when I flip on the switch to my blender. It can blend ANYTHING, and it also can make hot soups and frozen desserts. I love my Vitamix.

I love making the kids smoothies in the morning. It gives my mama’s heart a little room to breathe easy knowing they are getting nutrients to start off their day

 

 

Xoxo

Lauren