Breakfast Smoothies for Kids

Whether kids are eagerly starting kindergarten or cruising into their senior year, they all seem to have one thing in common: no time for breakfast. It doesn't matter what time they wake up; breakfast is not their top priority. But we parents know how important it is for kids to get a nutritious and filling start each morning. That's why we're big fans of breakfast smoothies for kids. Check out our tips and tricks for making the perfect smoothie, along with some kid-friendly recipes.

Breakfast Smoothies for Kids: Why Drink Your Breakfast?

In a nutshell, smoothies are fast. You can make them fast, and kids can drink them fast. We've watched our kids try to eat oatmeal, waffles, and cereal with the clock ticking, and it wasn't pretty. Smoothies go down easy, and they pack a ton of protein, fiber and nutrients.

Kids often don't feel hungry in the morning, even though their bodies need food. A smoothie helps ensure they don't hit the wall when there's still a couple hours until lunchtime. They can pay attention to their teachers, instead of their growling stomachs.

Breakfast Smoothies for Kids: The Basics

A good breakfast smoothie needs protein and fiber to keep kids satisfied until lunch. Protein can come from milk, yogurt or even tofu. You can add a scoop of protein powder too, if you like. Fiber can come from fruit and vegetables. Flax seeds, chia seeds, and oats can also add fiber. Depending on the consistency and temperature of the ingredients, you may need to add water or ice to make your smoothie cold and liquid enough to drink.

A blender is best for making smoothies. A food processor can't handle the liquid ingredients, and an immersion blender can't crush ice. You can't go wrong with a powerful blender.

A juicer isn't necessary for smoothies, but fresh juice can be a smart way to add liquid instead of using water. Juicing fruit yourself means no added sugar too. Check out the range of juicers we carry, from entry-level all the way up to juicers that can handle whole apples.

Breakfast Smoothies for Kids: Ingredients to Try

As in all aspects of parenting, you have to pick your battles. Therefore, don't try to cram three cups of spinach into the first breakfast smoothie you make for your kids. Start with a base of fruit and slowly add more greens as kids get accustomed to them. Baby spinach and baby kale blend well and have mild flavors.

When possible, we recommend using frozen fruit instead of adding ice. Peel ripe bananas and put them in freezer bags to use for smoothies. Buy extra fresh fruit when it's in season and on sale, then freeze it. Frozen fruit will blend more easily than ice cubes, and it's more fun to run across a whole blueberry than a chunk of plain ice in your smoothie.

We prefer to use plain yogurt in smoothies and add sweetness with fruit. Likewise, if you add soy or almond milk, we recommend the unsweetened varieties. Protein powder is another option, but choose carefully to avoid added sugar.

Finally, you can try adding ground flax seed or chia seeds to smoothies, but start with small amounts so kids get used to them.

Breakfast Smoothies for Kids: Recipes They'll Love

If your family is brand new to breakfast smoothies, check out Family Sponge. Jen and Jadah offer helpful tips for getting started, along with lots of smoothie recipes. We especially like their ideas for making up fun names for your smoothie creations, and ways to get kids involved in the prep work.

The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond, also offers some good ideas for making smoothies. She points out smoothies are perfect for fruit with bumps and bruises, and you can just toss the strawberries in whole.

We found two smoothie recipes that go beyond the typical formula, and we think they're both worth trying. First, this one from Bon Appetit is called Monkey on a Date. (We think the ladies from Family Sponge would love that name!) Naturally it includes bananas and Medjool dates, along with milk and nut butter and uncooked rolled oats. Perfect for getting a nutritious and filling start to the morning.

We're also curious to try the vegan vanilla milkshake smoothie from Pop Sugar Fitness. Although it's not specifically for kids, we think it sounds delicious. Instead of yogurt, it calls for either soft or silken tofu. It also includes vanilla soy milk, but you can substitute almond or coconut milk if you prefer.

If you have any tried and true smoothie recipes you love, please share them in the comments!