Green Smoothies, will your kids try them?

[lynn]

I can't get any of my children to try one because they see me put spinach in it. Honestly you can't taste the spinachin most of them. I even offered a candy bar of choice just to taste....no takers. lol

[kitten18]

My kids will but they're pretty adventurous eaters. DD especially will try anything we are eating.

[Chris in VA]

Yeah, she likes them.

Just a tip--freeze the spinach. It "shatters" in the blender and makes it easier to blend thoroughly. And don't let them see you make them...LOL

[Rosy]

DD11 is the most adventurous. I freeze our leftovers in a popsicle form and tell the others they can choose between a fresh smoothie or a popsicle.

[Element]

Ds will try anything. He is fine with green smoothies, although they are not his favorite. Dd hates nearly everything edible, green or not. I've never even been able to get her to try a green smoothie. Finally I've gotten her to drink my chocolate banana smoothies, but I think it'll take a while to work up to the green ones! ;)

 

Also, I agree with the pp who suggested freezing the spinach first.

[indigomama]

My kids love them!

 

Have your tried putting a cool sounding name to them; the hulk shake, etc?

 

Or put something in it to change the color, frozen blueberries, etc.

[arghmatey]

Yes, mine are 3 and 6, and they try every one. They have definite favorites, such as chard and red pear, but anything with tomatoes or carrots are pretty as the main ingredient are out of the question.

[NicAnn]

We have them almost every day in the summer.

I actually don't care for spinach as much- unless it's baby spinach. I use fresh parsley in mine. It sounds bad, but it's really good and blends wonderfully.

[LaxMom]

Yep. They also like green juices. But, then, they eat spinach, kale, and pretty much all other veggies, so I think the "difficult" part for them is that it's green but smells and tastes fruity. No so much an issue as just a visual-taste disconnect.

[mommaduck]

My kids love spinach. They also love green smoothies.

[SewingMom2many]

My kids love green smoothies. I didn't think they'd like them so I was leaving out the spinach in theirs but my 2yo kept stealing my drink so I started making extra for my 2 and 4 yo's to have just a little of Mom's special drink. They think it's a special treat now. My 6yo took a little longer to be sold on them but now he loves them too.

[mhg]

My 5 year old son drinks one daily. He loves them. Esp if his dad makes it. and he sees the spinach go in.

Edited May 4, 2012 by mhg

[Loudwater School]

My sons all have tried them, but only the middle boy really likes them. He likes them a lot, thank goodness, because otherwise his diet consists entirely of beans and cheese.

[DaffodilDreams]

Yes, mine drinks the green smoothies, and, yes, she knows what goes into them because she's usually helping me.

[Wabi Sabi]

Yes. When my oldest was a preschooler I started calling them "Incredible Green Hulk Smoothies" and that did the trick.

 

Other things that help? Don't add berries, use tropical fruit instead (oranges, pineapple, mango, banana, etc.) Berries when combined with the spinach makes it a really nasty, unappealing color that is too reminiscent of vomit, IMO. Using tropical fruit leaves it a nice, bright green. Much more appealing to the eye.

 

Also, try using opaque cups with lids and opaque straws. I've found that reluctant green smoothie drinkers can be fooled if they don't actually see it, LOL.

[MicheleinMN]

s/o question...are you all using fresh spinach in your smoothies? How do you clean your spinach beforehand? And for the novice like me...anyone want to post how much of what you actually put in one.

 

Thanks!

[Jean in Newcastle]

Ds14 (who likens kale to toxic waste:D) asked me to put kale in our green smoothies instead of spinach. He finds the spinach to leave a slightly bitter taste. I happily got kale instead. He can't taste the kale but still gets the benefit of all the good vitamins.

[weyland]

Our daily smoothie includes cucumber, zucchini, kale, carrot, mushroom, avocado, apple, banana, frozen berries, and then a slice of lemon or some orange juice, or a bunch of grapes to change the taste.

My 2, 4, and 11 year olds love them... my 13 year old has sensory issues and won't touch the stuff :)

During the summer we also juice - cucumber, kale, zucchini, grapes, and lemon are the kids favorite - "green lemonade". ;)

[i.love.lucy]

Ds14 (who likens kale to toxic waste:D) asked me to put kale in our green smoothies instead of spinach. He finds the spinach to leave a slightly bitter taste. I happily got kale instead. He can't taste the kale but still gets the benefit of all the good vitamins.

See, now that's funny because I thought the kale left a bitter taste. It also didn't blend well but I probably don't have a great blender. Oh, how I long for a Vitamix!

 

Our daily smoothie includes cucumber, zucchini, kale, carrot, mushroom, avocado, apple, banana, frozen berries, and then a slice of lemon or some orange juice, or a bunch of grapes to change the taste.

My 2, 4, and 11 year olds love them... my 13 year old has sensory issues and won't touch the stuff :)

During the summer we also juice - cucumber, kale, zucchini, grapes, and lemon are the kids favorite - "green lemonade". ;)

Wow, those sound yummy! I'm having trouble affording all this produce as it is, I can't imagine having all of that on hand for a daily smoothie. Sounds great though!

 

No one in my family but me will drink them green. They like them purple though, so I typically add berries. The kids have figured out the spinach is in there and will drink them anyway because they are so good. He might be pretending not to know as he drinks it. :lol: I consider this huge progress as my son will not touch a vegetable.

 

On the freezing spinach part...this came up in another thread and I came in to ask how. I just got home from Costco with 2 HUGE bags of spinach. Do I just throw them in the freezer as is? Will it clump together? Or will it stay okay for me to grab out some for smoothies?

[momto2Cs]

Yes, they will. The first few times, I did not tell them I was putting it in, and disguised the color with some cocoa powder. Then, I left the cocoa powder out, and the kids were intrigued by the green color. Now, they will occasionally challenge me to "put more spinach in!"

[LucyStoner]

Yes, but there long-time fave juice is Odwalla Superfood (the green/brown one). We call it dirt juice and they both love it. So a green smoothie is no big deal, LOL.

[Lady Florida.]

I'm not sure *I* would try a green smoothie. I've seen recipes, and though they all say you can't taste the spinach, I just can't get behind the idea of drinking spinach. Luckily though, we all love it without having to disguise and pulverize it. Same with other vegetables.

[SJ.]

My boys love green smoothies! I make them with either a pear or apple, a banana and sometimes I add berries. They are sweet and delicious. :D

[mamakimberly]

Yup, my kids each drink about 20-30 oz of green smoothie a day :) I figure that covers most of our fruit/veggie bases and any extras are just bonus! :)

[KungFuPanda]

I can't get any of my children to try one because they see me put spinach in it. Honestly you can't taste the spinachin most of them. I even offered a candy bar of choice just to taste....no takers. lol

 

I never let my kids see me put it in. I also serve the smoothie in colored cups with lids. You can see through the cups, but they're all blue and green so nobody suspects the color of the smoothie itself is weird.

[mytwomonkeys]

my son loves them. my daughter won't drink them because they're green. her loss though. they are so yummy! you can't even taste the spinach!

[Pamela H in Texas]

I have only had one kid ever (and he was very very difficult in all respects, especially food) who refused to even try.

 

What about if you have them help you make one without spinach and they'll love that. Then you can make another JUST like it with just a little spinach? In time, you can add more.

[Parrothead]

We tried them once and not one of us liked them. They were a pukey purple color and just plain tasted bad. We will stick with regular smoothies from now on.

[mom31257]

Yes, but mine aren't green in color. We use a lot of spinach with a few frozen blackberries, half a banana, and a little juice. It tastes more like dessert than spinach.

[Photo Ninja]

Using berries helps it not to be green. My dc don't like looking at the brown color, either (green spinach + red/purple berried = ugly brown smoothies), so I got cups with lids and straws. They couldn't see the smoothie, and loved how it tasted, so the problem was solved as long as they didn't see me make the smoothies. Eventually they stopped caring because they realized they liked the smoothies even though they included spinach, so they started helping make the smoothies, then made them themselves.

[Spy Car]

I don't get this "green smoothie" thing. We eat kale and other leafy greens daily and in mass quantities. My son eats it (always has) and we do too. Fresh fruit and berries? We like that too.

 

But sweet fruits blended with greens into a drink? Yuck, and double-yuck.

 

I'll have mine straight please :D

 

Bill

[mom31257]

I don't get this "green smoothie" thing. We eat kale and other leafy greens daily and in mass quantities. My son eats it (always has) and we do too. Fresh fruit and berries? We like that too.

 

But sweet fruits blended with greens into a drink? Yuck, and double-yuck.

 

I'll have mine straight please :D

 

Bill

 

Many people don't like the sometimes bitter taste of greens; therefore, smoothies help many parents have their children consume larger quantities of greens more easily. I love greens of all kinds, even turnip and collard, but my family doesn't. They like salad and cooked spinach the way I prepare it, but they really don't like any other greens cooked.

[Chris in VA]

On the freezing spinach part...this came up in another thread and I came in to ask how. I just got home from Costco with 2 HUGE bags of spinach. Do I just throw them in the freezer as is? Will it clump together? Or will it stay okay for me to grab out some for smoothies?

 

I just toss the bag in the freezer and grab what I need from it. I don't even transfer to a ziplock, b/c I fold down the opened bag and use a rubber band. It gets used up quickly.

 

I don't use blackberries anymore, tho--I had the seeded variety and it was like drinking little bits of wood. I think I tore up my insides!

[Spy Car]

Many people don't like the sometimes bitter taste of greens; therefore, smoothies help many parents have their children consume larger quantities of greens more easily. I love greens of all kinds, even turnip and collard, but my family doesn't. They like salad and cooked spinach the way I prepare it, but they really don't like any other greens cooked.

 

I just find it hard to relate to not liking real food. Like you, I love greens. But greens blend with fruit into a smoothie is something I find disgusting.

 

I guess it takes all kinds :D

 

Bill

[historically accurate]

My kids love them!

 

Have your tried putting a cool sounding name to them; the hulk shake, etc?

 

Or put something in it to change the color, frozen blueberries, etc.

 

We drink Leprechaun smoothies here. :001_smile: I was afraid the first time that no one would try it, but no one hesitated when I plopped down the Leprechaun smoothie.

[webbeccjo]

you cannot taste spinach in the smoothies at all! my sons favorite green smoothie is the green monster - banana, peanut butter ,*lots* of spinach , a cup of almond milk, and a little ice. you can also throw in a teaspoon of cocoa powder. yumm!

 

I prefer one with banana, strawberries, blueberries, a hunk of ginger, a carrot, 1/2 an apple ,lots of spinach, and a splash of juice to get things blending.

my dd throws in a 1/2 cup of raw oats as well!

 

I lost 45 lbs and lowered my bp significantly by drinking these for breakfast every day!!

[Lady Florida.]

I just find it hard to relate to not liking real food. Like you, I love greens. But greens blend with fruit into a smoothie is something I find disgusting.

 

I guess it takes all kinds :D

 

Bill

 

My thoughts exactly. :D

[mamakimberly]

It really doesn't taste like spinach in a glass though. It's a healthy way to get more vegetables in our diet. No one should really have an argument against eating more greens!

 

We eat greens in many forms. But I'm all about getting even more in our diet.

[Shawndrese]

My kids love them!

 

Have your tried putting a cool sounding name to them; the hulk shake, etc?

 

Or put something in it to change the color, frozen blueberries, etc.

 

This sounds like my boys :D I made one the other day and they named it "Dragon Tail"

[KungFuPanda]

I'm assembling a batch of these today and thought of this thread:

 

http://onceamonthmom.com/green-smoothie-bags/

:001_smile:

[TKDmom]

I don't get this "green smoothie" thing. We eat kale and other leafy greens daily and in mass quantities. My son eats it (always has) and we do too. Fresh fruit and berries? We like that too.

 

But sweet fruits blended with greens into a drink? Yuck, and double-yuck.

 

I'll have mine straight please :D

 

Bill

 

 

:D I have never cared much for vegetables and greens. I don't like the bitter taste, and I get tired of chewing and chewing (and chewing) long before I've had my RDA of veggies. So I've been trying green smoothies this weekend and they're great. I have a cheapo blender so the texture is more like applesauce than a smoothie should be, but the bitterness is masked by the fruit. I'm happy to be getting the nutrients that I've always known I should get, but couldn't manage any other way.

 

3 out of 4 kids like the green smoothies. My 8yo is skeptical. He drank one, and said it was not bad, but he'd rather keep his fruit and greens separate.