A smoothie is a really easy way to pack a lot of nutrients into a small snack and sneak those pesky fruits and veggies into a fussy child’s diet.

They also allow us to avoid the preservatives, sugars and other nasties that are found in a lot of processed food – as long as you’re using fresh, whole ingredients and avoiding fruit juice, this is a really healthy snack for your kids AND you retain all of the fibre and nutrients that you would lose out on by using a juicer.

If that wasn’t enough, the prep work and clean up is less than 5 minutes each – what more could you ask for! Here are four of our go-to’s for an easy, healthy and nutritious snack for kids. Each recipe serves 2 smoothies and follows the same easy steps.

Banana Butter Smoothie

Benefits

Bananas are packed full of nutrients and great for growing bones and eyesight. They contain potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, folate, niacin, B6, manganese and much more. Peanuts and peanut butter also support healthy development while the flax seeds in this recipe contain omega-3 fat, which is essential to a child’s diet.

Ingredients

• 2 cups sliced frozen banana
• 2 tablespoons natural peanut butter
• ½ cup vanilla Greek yoghurt
• 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Place into high-speed blender
2. Blend on high until smooth, add more milk/liquid as necessary
3. Serve immediately

Berrylicious Smoothie

Benefits

If you want to boost your kid’s brainpower, berries are perfect! Packed full of omega-3 fats, berries also contain high levels of antioxidants, especially vitamin C which can help reduce the risk of cancer.

Ingredients

• 1 frozen sliced banana
• 1 ½ cup frozen berries
• ¾ cup vanilla Greek yogurt
• 1 ½ cup almond milk
• 1 tablespoon honey (optional)

Instructions

1. Place into high-speed blender
2. Blend on high until smooth, add more milk as necessary
3. Serve immediately

Tropical Smoothie

Benefits

This one is packed full of nutritious tropical fruit, each with their own special health benefits. Pineapples contain Vitamin C and manganese, mangoes contain Vitamin A and folate, and bananas are rich with fiber and potassium while the coconut milk gives it a creamy, rich flavour.

Ingredients

• 1 cup canned pineapple
• 1frozen sliiced banana sliced
• 1 cup frozen mango
• 1 kiwi fruit
• 3/4cup pineapple juice
• 1/2 cup canned coconut milk

Instructions

1. Place into high-speed blender
2. Blend on high until smooth, add more milk as necessary
3. Serve immediately

Green Machine Smoothie

Benefits

This is the perfect smoothie to sneak some veggies in - the spinach has a mild taste and is packed with over 20 different nutrients, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and high-quality amino acids. To avoid any chunky, leafy bits, pack the greens and the water into the blender first and blend until the chunks are gone, then add the rest of the fruit.

Ingredients

• 2 cups spinach
• 2 frozen sliced bananas
• 2cups water (or coconut water)
• 1cup mango
• 1cup pineapple

Instructions

1. Place into high-speed blender
2. Blend on high until smooth, add more milk as necessary
3. Serve immediately