When I recently read the ingredients of a particular children’s protein shake, I realized I had to share a healthy alternative to PediaSure®. A milkshake that’s marketed to parents as a healthy drink but is filled with sugar, oxidized oils, and synthetic vitamins is certainly not what I would give to my own kids. As a liquid meal replacement, there are much better options.
As we settle into fall, I find myself craving my paleo pumpkin pie smoothie. It’s like a pumpkin spice latte, without the caffeine jitters and dairy intolerance issues. I made this smoothie for some friends on my tennis team last year and it was a winner!
This liquid nutrition was actually part of an assignment I did for the Academy of Culinary Nutrition. I focused on an autoimmune condition and developed recipes specifically targeted towards nourishing these clients. A key focus for clients with autoimmune disease is to support the immune system, increase anti-inflammatory foods, and improve metabolic function. This smoothie offers a range of nutrients to aid in healing and help increase energy levels.
My paleo pumpkin pie smoothie is a great way to start your morning routine, or recharge after a workout. What’s even better is that this smoothie is also kid-approved in my house. Those bananas make it sweet, so feel free to decrease to your taste.
To make homemade pumpkin puree, slice the top off of a pie pumpkin and then cut the pumpkin in half through the middle. Remove the seeds and then cover the pumpkin pieces with some coconut oil and roast for 30 minutes cut side down on a baking sheet in an oven at 400 degrees. Scoop out the insides and reserve pumpkin for smoothies or soup. If you use store bought pumpkin puree, look for the organic version sold in cardboard boxes instead of cans. (See this option here.) The reason to skip the metal can (even BPA free) is to reduce your exposure to metal, which is an issue for women dealing with autoimmune sensitivities.
Learn more about what a health coach can do for you.
I add cacao nibs to my smoothies to give them a little crunch! Did you know cacao nibs provide you a dose of both iron and magnesium. These two micronutrients are important to replenish during the menstrual phase of a women’s cycle. Give your body some energy and help balance those hormones with a little support from these little bits of chocolate goodness.
You can find my recipe to make homemade almond milk here, homemade vanilla extract here, and my favorite place to get the pumpkin pie spice is Trader Joe’s.
I hope you enjoy your paleo pumpkin pie smoothie this fall. It’s a great way to nourish you body, and get that pumpkin fix covered.
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This is a compensated post in partnership with DOLE and the Mom It Forward Blogger Network. All opinions shared are my own.
Spring has finally sprung! After leaving town for a couple of days, I was amazed to come home and see flowers everywhere. The trees are pink and the tulips are all standing at attention. It’s days like this that I love being a stay at home mom and get to relax and watch the kids play in the backyard for hours.
My other favorite thing that happens in spring is snack time takes place outside. Two less rounds of crumbs to clean up in the house! It’s the little things that make me happy in the spring.
The kids were excited when we tested out a new smoothie recipe shared with us from DOLE Pineapple Juice. I usually don’t add juice to our smoothies, but I was happy to learn that Dole’s juice is 100% juice and GMO-free. Two great things in my nutrition playbook. Plus with the “pollen tsunami” taking place, increasing our Vitamin C intake can be a helpful remedy for allergy symptoms.
The Go Green smoothie won over our neighbor’s daughter who isn’t always a green smoothie fan. The silly green mustaches everyone was wearing at the end of snack time was a sign of success!
One note, since we try to avoid GMO’s I swapped out the soy milk for almond milk. It can be tricky to find organic GMO-free soy milk so almond or coconut milk are alternate suggestions.
You can make your own Go Green smoothie and get coupon here for your next sunny day smoothie snack break!
Learn more about what you can make with healthy pineapple juice on DOLE’s Pinterest boards, Twitter channel or facebook page. I’ll be checking out some fun summer cocktail recipes here so I can use up my leftover pineapple juice. You can also buy the small cans and have them in the pantry for when inspiration strikes.
Share the love of sunshine! Click to Tweet: Try this Go Green Pineapple Smoothie! @DolePackaged #ad #dolepineapplejuice #ayearofsunshine #smoothie http://bit.ly/1EqW2RE
I pulled together our list of green smoothies your kids will love. My kid’s favorite snack lately is a smoothie, always with a dose of greens. My two year old runs into the kitchen saying “moothie” until I make him one. Smoothies are a great way to sneak additional vegetables and fruits into your kids diet, and your own if needed. We usually make one large smoothie and split it up between the three of us in the afternoon. Both kids like the green smoothies and I’ll share today some super simple recipes that are kid-approved.
The good news is both kids drink green smoothies. The bad news is they often want them before I get dinner on the table so I find it can affect how much they eat when we sit at the table. I’m slowly trying to find a balance between offering them healthy vegetable-filled snacks and not take away from eating vegetables on the plate. The fiber isn’t lost when you make a smoothie, but I do think it’s important for kids to continue to experience the different textures of cooked or raw vegetables on their dinner plate.
We are using the Blendtec blender that I received as part of a Stonyfield yogurt campaign. The blender really is amazing and I think I’ll always have one of these high speed blenders from now on. We are using the Wildside Blendtec Blender.
There are a few key ingredients I use when I make smoothies for us:
I generally never add any sweetener (like honey or agave) as I don’t want to give the kids a taste of a sweeter option. If something tastes too “green” I can soften the taste with the addition of more citrus or an apple. Yes, there is still sugar in the fruit but there are also a ton of vitamins that are beneficial.
Wondering how we serve our smoothies? I use our pint size mason jars and these glass smoothie straws
Here are just a few of our favorite recipes. Combine in the order listed and blend well.
*where it says water, you can sub in coconut milk to make it creamy, almond, oat, cashew or your favorite type of milk.
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 cups spinach
1 banana
1 cup frozen mango
1/2 cup water
1/2 a medium avocado scooped out (we make this to use up leftover avocado)
2 cups spinach
2 cups frozen pineapple
1/2 cup of water
2 tablespoons of flaxseeds (or chia seeds)
2 clementines, peeled
1 banana
2 cups spinach
1/2 cup frozen pineapple chunks
(which really comes out more purple than blue)
1/2 cup water
1 cup yogurt (we use our homemade yogurt)
1 cup spinach
2 cups frozen berries
Head over here for one more bonus green smoothie: Coconut Kale Smoothie!
If the kids are not into anything green, you can also try my Paleo Pumpkin Pie Smoothie recipe. Happy blending! I hope these green smoothies your kids will love helps make getting more vegetables into them a lot easier for you.
Ever since we received a Blendtec blender, smoothies have become a regular part of our day. Sometimes it becomes a meal replacement on busy days, other times it’s the perfect snack in the afternoon to hold us over till dinner. The kids get to pick their color and we go from there.
Everyone started artfully arranging their ingredients. I just went straight to the blender.
Last week I attended a “Smoothie Summit” at Whole Foods Fresh Pond in Cambridge. A group of local Boston bloggers got together to share and test out some smoothie recipes. The results were amazing!
My drink of choice is one called the Green Machine. I love the balance in flavors I get when I blend spinach with fruits. When I have a smoothie without spinach, I often find it too sweet now.
As our group of bloggers recipes come online, I’ll share them here as well. Thank you Whole Foods for hosting us, it was a wonderful experience to test out some healthy recipes. There were a lot of new ingredients tossed into those smoothies that may find their way into my kitchen too.
Leah’s Spring Egg Cream Smoothie Recipe
I had a great time hanging out with Lori from Groovy Green Livin, Sharon from ViolaCay, Julia from It’s Not Like a Cat, Sharon from umommy and KidNosh, Jessica from Don’t Mind the Mess, Isra The Frugalette, Niri of Mommy Niri, Leah from Oh Baby Boston, and Jean The Shopping Queen.
It may be winter, but a delicious smoothie still is a perfect snack. My kids are loving them and I am happy to use up some leftovers produce from the refrigerator. Our new favorite recipe is the spiced pumpkin smoothie recipe. It offers a healthy dose of vitamins A and C, which helps support a healthy immune system. Perfect for this time of year!
