Happy Smoothie Meals

SMOOTHIES FOR CHILDREN
OF ALL AGES

"Ooooo Your lunch is greeeeen!"  I can just imagine how a kindergartener would love this.

All those sandwiches I made and wrapped that she didn't really like and were so boring.  I could have been blending up something amazingly nutritious and delicious and different every day.  Sweet delicious and GREEN.

I did not start out with all the ingredients listed below.  They just sort of accumulated. You will need a good quality powerful blender.  I also use ear protection since I make three versions of smoothies for my husband to take to lunch and green smoothies for our breakfast.

So here are some
HAPPY SMOOTHIE LUNCHES
for kids of all ages

CONTAINERS
Kid's thermoses are safe.  Hot water will clean them pretty easily.
Older kids might be trusted with mason jars.  I pack my husband's lunch in mason jars.
He takes three kinds of smoothies every morning along with a nut butter sandwich on sprouted wheat bread wrapped in wax-paper.  Yes; it is what he wants.  I get lots of kisses.

~NOTE~
Any nut butter left over from the previous day may be used in smoothies.  At dinner time or before bed, you may partially fill a mason jar with almonds, macadamia nuts, pine nuts, sunflower seeds, peanuts .... and add enough water to cover the nuts.  (Soaking nuts and seeds unlocks the inhibitors increasing their nutritional value.) The next day before making your smoothies, put the contents of the jar into your blender with about 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/8 tsp Celtic Sea Salt and 1 Tablespoon raw local honey and blend until smooth.  Put this yummy mix back in the same mason jar and, without washing out the blender, start your day's breakfast smoothies. Encourage your loved ones to make their own sandwiches, after all you are making lots of smoothies and have ear protection on so you can't hear them. Also:  always taste your smoothie before serving.  Fresh ingredients may vary.  If you taste you'll know what to add to make your creation delicious. 

MEASUREMENTS
T = tablespoon
tsp = teaspoon
all measurements may be altered according to your taste
or availability of ingredients

INGREDIENTS TO HAVE ON HAND

Frozen Fruit and Veggies
* When bananas reach that banana bread stage,
   peal them and put them in gallon-size baggies
* Ripe pears must first be cleaned with stems
   and any bruises removed then frozen for later use
* Ripe peaches and nectarines must be cleaned
   with pits removed and any bruises removed
* Pineapple with outside removed and stingy part in the middle
   removed cut into blender size pieces
* Frozen organic baby spinach, kale and chard
* Lemon or lime juice frozen in ice cube trays

Fresh, Organic and Raw
* All of the above fruits and veggies if possible
* Apples
* Lemons and limes
* Avocados
* Red bell peppers (never green as they are not ripe)
* Honey (local and raw)
* Figs (dried or fresh)
* Dates (different kinds)
* Stevia
* Celtic Sea Salt
* Coconut oil
* Cocoa nibs
* Crushed vanilla
* Cinnamon
* Nut butters (see recipes on this site)
* Dulce

Try to vary your ingredients each day so that if you use rhubarb chard one day you choose to use spinach the next day.  Using the same ingredients every day can cause allergies.

BANANA PEAR DELIGHT
A basic kid-friendly smoothie for smoothie-beginners
One frozen banana
One fresh or frozen pear
Filtered water (enough so that your blender will smoothie your ingredients)
Spinach (fresh organic baby spinach is very mild - use lots)

BARBEQUE SPICY TREAT
My husband loves this one and it is sooooo good for his joints. 
For kids, leave out the spice unless they like spice.  
Some kids love hot and spicy.
One large tomato
One apple (remove stem)
Filtered water
1 T raw local honey
Chard (lots of chard)
1/2 tsp chipotle chili (this is the barbeque taste and is spicy)
1/2 tsp raw onion (more if onion is mild.  Onion may intensify after blending)
1/8 tsp Celtic Sea Salt

BROCCOLI ASPARAGUS LIMEADE
(Broccoli may be bitter.  Lemon or lime takes away the bitter)
Broccoli stems (pealed) leaves or florets (broccoli florets are nice to marinate)
Asparagus stems (pealed) or tips (asparagus tips are nice marinated too)
Juice of one lime
1 large apple
1 pear
2 T raw local honey
1/8 tsp Celtic Sea Salt

HAWAIIAN PINIA COLADA 
(without the rum - after-all rum isn't Raw)
Fresh pineapple
Coconut oil
Fresh or frozen banana
Filtered water
Spinach or Kale

ITALIAN PESTO SMOOTHIE
(When you've had enough sweet and crave salty)
One large tomato
One fresh apple (remove stem)
1/4 cup fresh or frozen Basil
Kale ( load it up - Greeeen)
1 small clove garlic
1/8 tsp Celtic Sea Salt

MARGARITA
(Green ~ Salty ~ Tangy)
1 lemon (just juice)
1 T or more raw local honey
1/8 tsp Celtic Sea Salt
Spinach
Blended and over the rocks (just add ice)

MEXINUVO
1 ear bi-color corn (bi-color corn in non-GMO)  Just the kernals
1 or two avocados
1 tomato
1 red bell pepper (remove the seeds and stem)
1/4 Sweet onion
1 lemon (just the juice)
1/8 tsp Celtic Sea Salt

 SWEET INDIAN COCONUT CURRY
(Indian - dots not feathers)
One banana
One apple
Filtered water (otherwise yo' blender won't move)
Kale or chard (lots and lots and lots)
1 heaping T coconut oil
1 tsp curry
1 tsp cinnamon
Squeeze of lime
1 heaping T raw local honey
1/8 tsp Celtic Sea Salt
1/2 small clove garlic  BLEND! BLEND! BLEND!