The 5-A-Day Smoothie Recipe For Your Picky Eaters

5 a day smoothie recipe Beth Rosen, RD

 

Earlier in the week, I posted on my Facebook page that I finally found a way to get my picky eater to eat fruits and vegetables.  Believe it or not, Registered Dietitians have picky eaters too, and face many of the same challenges as parents who aren’t in the nutrition profession. My daughter likes to take foods out of her repertoire, and yet she is reluctant to add in new ones.  For instance, clementines were a favorite for a few weeks.  But as soon as I bought them in bulk, they were “off the list” (does that happen to you?).  I decided to take my own advice that I recommend to clients who have picky eaters:  Try a smoothie!  Kids love smoothies, and you can add as many or as few fruit and vegetable varieties as you would like.

 

5 a day smoothie recipe picky eater Beth Rosen, RD

I started by using the fruits I know she likes; mangoes and blueberries.  Then I added in the vegetable she likes; cucumbers.  From there, I added in others from my produce drawers in the fridge that would give her the most nutritional bang for her buck.  And that’s how the 5-A-Day Smoothie recipe was born!

5 a day smoothie recipe picky eater Beth Rosen, RD

5-A-Day Smoothie Recipe

Makes 16 ounces

1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 cup kale, loosely packed and chopped

1/2 cup cucumber chunks

1/2 cup frozen strawberries

1/2 cup frozen mango chunks

1/2 cup fresh blueberries

5 a day smoothie recipe picky eater Beth Rosen, RD

Add all ingredients to a blender.  Blend until smooth and all evidence of fruits and vegetables vanish into a smoothie consistency.  Serve immediately and refrigerate the leftovers.

5 a day smoothie recipe picky eater Beth Rosen, RD

I served the 5-A-Day Smoothie to my daughter in a pretty opaque cup with a lid and a straw because I was afraid that the bluish/brownish color would cause the drink to fall into the “ugly food” category before it was tasted (yes she categorizes foods as ugly and pretty).  The cup was cute enough, and so she was willing to try it.  Lo and behold, she liked it!  She drank the whole thing!  Once she was done and we discussed her enjoyment of this fruit-and-veggie-drink-disguised-as-a-yummy-treat, she was surprised that I added kale and she couldn’t taste it.   The next time I made it for her, I put it in a transparent glass.  She decided that the 5-A-Day smoothie looked like chocolate, so it was deemed a “pretty food” and thus, it was added to the repertoire! (whew!)

5 a day smoothie recipe picky eater Beth Rosen, RD

This 5-A-Day Smoothie recipe can be altered to suit the tastes of you or your children.  Don’t be afraid to add dark green leafy vegetables like kale or baby spinach; they don’t have a strong flavor but they do have lots of vitamins, minerals, and fiber per serving.  If you don’t have frozen fruit, add a 1/2 cup of ice before blending, or refrigerate before drinking if you like your smoothies cold.  If you change out the orange juice for another juice, make sure that it is 100% juice and has no added sweeteners (natural or artificial).

I am relieved to have found one way to get my daughter to eat the necessary servings of fruits and vegetables in order to keep her fueled each day.  Keep your fingers crossed for me that she doesn’t kick it off the list, now that I have bought frozen berries in bulk.

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Beth Rosen

Eating Attitudes™ & Gut Expert

Beth Rosen, MS, RD, CDN is a Registered Dietitian and owner of Beth Rosen Nutrition. She practices a non-diet philosophy and is a Health at Every Size" practitioner. Her goal is to end the pain of diet culture, one person at a time. Beth's techniques and programs empower chronic dieters, and those who consider themselves emotional and /or stress eaters, to ditch the vicious cycle of dieting, eat fearlessly by removing Food and diet rules, and mend their relationship with food and their bodies. Beth's works face-to-face with clients in Southbury, CT, and virtually with clients, worldwide.

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