Smoothies, Shakes and Juices, Oh My!

An awesome way to get kids helping in the kitchen and also consuming a larger variety of healthy foods is to make tasty nutritious drinks. There are three different types of juiced and blended beverages that you can make: shakes, smoothies and juices. The definition of these have changed and evolved over time. At one time, just having a splash of milk in your drink turned it from a shake to a smoothie! But lately as these types of beverages have become so popular, that is changing. Did you already know this? Have you been properly labeling your beverages? Let’s clear up the difference between the three and then share some favourite recipes of smoothies for kids.

So What’s the Difference?

As it turns out, these terms are not to be used interchangeably and even shake and smoothie mean different things!

• A smoothie is made with blended fruit where you don’t have to peel or chop the fruit. It typically has a dash of milk or yogurt but isn’t required. Ice is also added to a smoothie in most cases. A key characteristic of a smoothie is that it is blended until completely smooth. How clever! Since the fruit has its skin on, this allows the fibre to stay intact!

• A shake has many similar ingredients; however, you do peel and chop the fruit as you’re not blending it to smooth. Shakes have a thicker texture and still have chunks of the fruit in them.  Shakes are typically made with ice cream or milk as well as fruit.
• A juice is a bit of a different ballgame. For this drink, you are taking the juice of the fruit or veggie and leaving behind the pulp. You need a machine that can separate the two in order to make juice.

Some Popular Add-ins for Smoothies

Lots of parents love making smoothies for their kids as a way to sneak in some extra nutrients that may be lacking from their diet. Here are just a few suggestions of add-ins for smoothies:

• Chia seeds (healthy fat and good for digestion/constipation)
• Hemp hearts (protein)
• Organic protein powder
• Raw honey (healthy fat, can be good for immune system)
• Spinach (greens)
• Kale (greens)
• Beets (makes it a fun colour and doesn’t change the flavour while adding nutrients)
• Greek yogurt (protein)
• Flax (good for female hormones as well as digestion)

Kid Approved Favourite Smoothie Recipes

Show your kids these recipes and let them pick one they want to make. Pass them the measuring cups and ingredients and let them have fun with it! This is an excellent way for them to practice in the kitchen.

The Berry Blast Smoothie

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup milk of choice
• ½ cup vanilla yogurt
• 6 frozen strawberries
• 2 spoonfuls of frozen blueberries
• 1 tsp. honey or ¼ scoop organic vanilla protein powder (to taste)
• Ice
• Add-in items of choice (favourites are hemp hearts, chia seeds, or beets)

If there is extra room in your blender, you can add some water. You may need more for your desired texture. Blend and enjoy! Makes approximately 2 smoothies.

The Peach Delight Smoothie

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup milk of choice
• ½ cup vanilla yogurt
• ¾ cup frozen peaches
• 2 tsp. honey
• Ice
• Add-in items of choice
• Water, to desired consistency

Makes approximately 2 smoothies.

Cinnamon Roll Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 ½ frozen bananas, cut into chunks
• ¼ tsp. cinnamon
• ½ tsp. vanilla
• ½ cup old fashioned oats
• 1 cup ice

Blend well. Makes approximately 4 smoothies.

Strawberry Cheesecake Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 2 cups strawberries, sliced
• ¾ cup raw unsalted cashews
• 1 cup almond milk
• ½ frozen banana
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice (to taste)
• 1 cup ice

Blend well. Makes approximately 4 smoothies. This one has a thicker texture.

Blueberry Muffin Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice)
• ½ tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup frozen blueberries
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
• 1 large handful baby spinach
• 2 tbsp. almond butter
• 1 tbsp. coconut flakes

Blend well. Makes approximately 4 smoothies.

Things To Consider

Smoothies have a tendency to be heavy on the sugar. You want to be aware of how much fruit and added sugar you are putting in so you don’t have a huge insulin spike in your kids.

Protein powders have their place but be careful which ones and how much you are adding to smoothies for kids. The amount is far less than an adult would consume and you want to be sure you choose one that is a natural protein without additives.

Drinking our meals instead of chewing gives our body a different response. When we aren’t chewing, it’s not stimulating the same digestive response. One way around this is to make a type of smoothie bowl, where you add nuts or fruit to the top of the smoothie and eat with a spoon. Learn some creative ways to make kid-friendly smoothie bowls. While smoothies have their place, you don’t want them to replace regular meals in your child’s diet.

Grab your kids, choose a smoothie, and have some fun!

We would love to see you and your smoothies!  Take a pic and share it to our facebook group.

This article has been written by homeschooling staff writers of The Canadian Schoolhouse (TCS). Enjoy more of our content from TCS contributors and staff writers by visiting our Front Door page that has content on our monthly theme and links to all our content sections.