My Favorite Smoothie {Toddler Approved Real-Food Recipe}

+J.M.J.+

Most afternoons I workout, and Philomena can’t wait for me to finish, because she knows it will be “moothie time!”

This smoothie is our favorite afternoon pick-me-up, a great way to get in a bunch of greens without even realizing it, (seriously, you don’t taste them!) and it has an amazing fruity flavor. I also love to add in a couple special ingredients with extra benefits that I’ll tell you about below.

Here’s how it goes!

Ingredients (Makes 2 servings)

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup carrot juice (we love this purple carrot juice from Trader Joes)
1/2 cup frozen cherries
1/2 cup plain whole milk yogurt
2 cups greens
1 ripe banana
4 ice cubes

The instructions are pretty easy… Throw all of the ingredients in and let the blender go! About forty-five seconds on high is right for my very basic blender.

You can of course sub any juice in; we always choose a bottle that is organic and not-from-concentrate. (Juice concentrates are essentially juice syrups and not the same as just the juice from a particular fruit or veggie).

Carrot juice is our favorite since it is low in sugar but has great taste, however we love pomegranate juice around here too. As for frozen fruit, we enjoy cherries best but also like mango, blueberries, strawberries, or peaches when we want a variation.

The ice cubes and banana both lend to the great consistency of this smoothie!

Up The Ante

Now, if you want to bump up the nutritional value of this smoothie there are two ingredients you can add that have a host of benefits.

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Collagen Peptides

First are collagen peptides… say what?

Well if you know about the benefits of real gelatin (not cheap Jello or Knox of course… read more here) you will be pleased to know you can get similar help for hair, skin, nails, gut, and joints from the collagen it is derived from in the first place.

Instead of congealing, it just dissolves in cold liquid, making it a great addition to your smoothie. It packs some serious protein and is just all around amazing stuff. (Re: Leaky gut? Autoimmune issues? Joint pain? Promising studies show consuming collagen regularly can really help!)

I get my grass-fed collagen powder here on Amazon and add 2 tablespoons of it right in the last few seconds of blending my smoothie as I like the consistency best.

Cod Liver Oil

Cod Liver Oil is *amazing* stuff – Dr. Axe calls it, “The Anti-Inflammatory Disease Fighter.” It is an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin D, and omega-3 fatty acids. It can help with depression, autoimmune issues, fertility, lowering your risk of cancer, and preventing heart disease among a whole list of amazing benefits.

CLO is something I have been very unfaithful about for a long time due to the taste, even though I know it’s so good for me. It is also something I know could be helping with Philomena’s eczema, so I have recently recommitted to getting it in every day, and this smoothie is our favorite way to do that.

I just add the recommended dose on the bottle to the bottom of our glasses and pour the smoothie over it. (I prefer sucking it down with the straw first this way so the whole smoothie doesn’t have it’s taste. Sometimes I also just take mine straight off a spoon and then chase it with my delicious smoothie.

I get my cod liver oil from Whole Foods, but you can also find the same brand here on Amazon, and here is their children’s version that I give Philomena.