Tricks of the Trade

Last week I posted a topic in my Blog Frog discussion forum about ways to get extra nutrition into your children. Tara from Banks Blab wrote that she incorporated spinach, yes SPINACH, into her family's smoothies! First I thought, what a GREAT idea and then I thought, Hey, why didn't I think of that! In my fridge you will find a variety of greens from spinach to beet greens to swiss chard and I am always trying to find new ways to incorporate these vitamin and antioxidant rich foods into our diet. My 3 year old loves smoothies and we drink them often, so I decided to give the greens a try. Know what? It was fabulous! I used swiss chard and it was delicious and Tara was right, you can barely taste it. My whole family enjoyed it and Jack was eager for seconds. Give it a try, you might be pleasantly surprised! Depending on the fruits you use in your smoothie, it may change to a brilliant green. If the color isn't going over well with the kids, try adding a 1-1.5 cups of blueberries to the mix and it will be a rich, eye pleasing purple that kids love! You can also use smoothies to make popsicles, so make an extra batch and freeze for a delicious and super healthy treat.

Here is the combination that seemed to work best in my house:

1.5 Cups orange juice(I like calcium fortified juice)
1 Cup fresh strawberries
1 frozen banana
1.5 Cups of frozen wild blueberries
1 Cup swiss chard or spinach, packed
1 TBS. flaxmeal

Blend until smooth and enjoy! I serve with eggs, whole grain toast smeared with almond butter. D-E-Licious!

Serves 4.

What are your "tricks of the trade?" Visit my forum and tell me about it! If I choose your healthy trick, I will feature you and your blog on this site!