Green Smoothies

OK, this is pretty cool.  My kids are good eaters, for which I am very grateful, but while they usually eat the veggies, most of the time, these are not high on their list of favorites.  I've been trying to get more fruit and veggies in all of us.  We had green smoothies for lunch today (also great for breakfast), and the girls loved them!  There are recipes out there, or you can just kinda' go with it, which is what I do.

Today's smoothies included watercress, which is a good source of Protein, Folate, Pantothenic Acid and Copper, and a very good source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Vitamin K, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Manganese.  Next time I want to try Baby Bok Choy as my green.  Spinach also works well, I'm told, but since we grow the Watercress and Baby Bok Choy at Butter Valley Harvest, those are more convenient for me.

Anyway, the trick is that the kids, for the most part, can't see or taste the green stuff!  I start with a couple handfuls of the green stuff and a cup of milk.  Puree that in your blender.  Then you get to add the fun stuff.  I add a couple tablespoons of Ground Flax Seed (they have no idea what that is or that it's there!), about a cup of Yogurt (flavored or plain), and some fruit.  FYI, berries are best for changing the color away from anything remotely green.  :)  We like bananas, strawberries, blueberries, peaches, raspberries, etc.  You can use whatever combination you like.  I would say you end up with about 1 1/2 cups of fruit.  The great thing about smoothies is that you can pretty much use whatever yogurt and fruit you have on hand.

If you are a lover of Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld, she hides purees of all kinds all over the place when it comes to mealtime.  She encourages making a bunch of puree at once and freezing it, so that's another option.  I like to use the fresh stuff when possible, and since I have access to the greenhouse, I can get my greens fresh year-round.  :)  Fruit is another story, so those I freeze.

If you have different experiences with Green Smoothies, I'd love to hear your ideas.  I'm sure you could hide some greens and ground flax seed in a chocolate milkshake, too.  Hmmm... I wonder if my hubby would notice that.  He loves his chocolate shakes!  ;)