Smoothies for Picky Eaters

Listen to this article:

Picky eating is among the most common seasons that parents of young kids experience. While supporting your child through one of these times requires a multi-faceted approach, incorporating nutrient-dense smoothies into their routine may be helpful. Healthy smoothies for picky eaters can both help meet nutrition needs and encourage your child to try new foods.

Why Are Smoothies Good for Kids?

Smoothies are a simple way to pack a lot of nutrients into one cup. They can incorporate fruits and vegetables alike, as well as nuts and seeds, and even seemingly odd ingredients like tofu, avocado, or white beans for additional neutral-flavored nutrients like protein.

And perhaps most importantly, your child can help you make them! Maybe this looks like them pouring ingredients into the blender, turning the blender on, or helping to choose what goes into the recipe that day. Including your child in kitchen activities, like smoothie prep, is a great way to help connect them with their food and teach them skills that will serve them throughout their life.

Being involved in the kitchen making smoothies can also help encourage kids going through picky eating phases to try new foods and eat what they’ve created. When children feel like they have more say in what they’re eating, they’re generally more likely to show interest.

Can You Have Smoothies Instead of Meals?

Smoothies and shakes are a great option for kids and adults alike. Their consistency allows them to be offered to younger kids without concern for choking, and they can take on a multitude of flavors and colors, which is fun for kids.

Though tempting during picky eating phases, smoothies, shakes, and nutritional drinks for kids should not be used as a meal replacement when your child is refusing their plate. Rather, smoothies and shakes are ideal for between-meal snacks, to complement a balanced meal, or to offer as an after-dinner dessert or bedtime snack to fill little tummies.

One of the most important nutritional goals for kids is to help them learn to meet their needs through a variety of solid foods, which can include smoothies, but they shouldn’t be the star of the show.

What is a Good Snack with a Smoothie?

Smoothies might be served on their own as a snack, or alongside something else to provide more balance. Need some ideas?

Some snack foods you could pair with smoothies include:

Whole-grain crackers with hummus
Apple or banana slices with almond butter
A slice of avocado toast sprinkled with hemp seeds
Pitted dates stuffed with peanut butter
Raw veggies with bean dip
Dry no-sugar-added cereal
Chia seed pudding

Smoothies can of course also be offered at mealtimes, but if you find that your child is more likely to drink the smoothie than try anything on their plate, it may be best to keep them separate.

What to Put in a Smoothie to Make it Taste Better

As with all foods, some smoothies can be an acquired taste depending on what you blend into them. This can take practice and that’s okay.

If your child has some favorite foods that they already love, consider whether you could include these into a smoothie and have them help.

Making your smoothie taste good is all about learning the personal preferences of your kids. Ask them what they’d like their smoothie to taste like that day and then have them help gather ingredients.

For instance, you could make a red or purple smoothie packed with berries, a creamy orange and banana smoothie, a strawberry lime smoothie, a green pineapple smoothie, or even a chocolate shake with peanut butter, dates, and apple.

The only way to find out what smoothies your child loves is to experiment in the kitchen. You can find recipes together and try them out, and then put your own spin on them. Just be sure to write down the ones your child loves, so you can make them more often.

How Do You Sneak Protein into a Smoothie?

If you’re looking to use smoothies to sneak in ingredients that your child has previously refused or never tried, I would advise against it as this can promote distrust around food. Instead, include your child in the process of collecting ingredients for the smoothie and actually making the finished product to serve.

Smoothies may be primarily fruit-based, but that doesn’t mean they don’t provide protein, as all plant foods do contain some protein. Plus, making protein shakes for picky eaters doesn’t mean you need to use protein powders.

To boost the protein content of a smoothie, try adding chia, hemp, flax seeds, nut butter, or even a small amount of soft tofu or cannellini beans. These ingredients blend well, and with the exception of peanut butter, won’t change the flavor much.

You can also consider adding a scoop or two of Else Plant-Based Complete Nutrition for Toddlers for additional protein, vitamins, and minerals.

Which Vegetables are Good for Smoothies?

Most of us are used to making fruit smoothies, with things like frozen berries, peaches, and bananas. But vegetables can work well, too! In fact, having your child add vegetables to their smoothie may help encourage food acceptance. If they choose leafy greens, it can be fun for them to watch the smoothie turn green in the blender.

Some vegetables that can work well in smoothies include:

Green peas
Kale
Spinach
Beets
Carrots
Pumpkin
Red cabbage

Remember that vegetables can change the flavor of a smoothie, so starting with a small amount can go a long way. Furthermore, pairing these veggies with citrus, berries, pineapple, and green apple can help mask the flavor if it’s not a favorite.

10 Healthy Plant-Based Smoothie Recipes

Below are a few recipes for tasty, nutritious smoothie recipes for picky eaters that you and your child can make together. Make changes per your preferences and find out what your child likes together.