Smoothie Power!

I used to complain about my oldest daughter's rather particular eating habits - but then I had another daughter who puts the former level of pickiness to shame. Ah, perspective... if only we could have it sooner to appreciate what was... Allegra will not eat fruits or veggies under practically any circumstances. The older two could be cajoled and "tricked" into trying foods that looked suspicious to them, at which point they would usually find they liked them and begin to eat. We sang songs, flew airplanes, and did all the fun stuff that made eating successful. This child has a will of steel that is compromised by none of our former protocols. Any attempt to get her to try something she has decided not to eat will be met with rejection. And by rejection, I mean it comes right back out without so much as touching her tongue. That's quite a talent, when you think about it! Although I've always been a big fan of smoothies, they have become necessity at this point because I feel it's very important that my kids eat well. While Allegra refuses to *eat* so many fruits and veggies, she will gladly drink them liberally when they are presented in the form of smoothie. I find I can pack all kinds of things into a smoothie, especially after reading _Deceptively Delicious_ and some of _The Sneaky Chef_. I haven't tried any of their recipes but the idea of cooking and pureeing foods that would otherwise not enter the child's system and then sneaking them in undetected is quite attractive to me. Here's my method:

Serenity's Smoothies of Power

2 bananas
2 cups total frozen fruit choose one or mix: strawberries, blueberries, cherries, or peaches
1 cup plain yogurt (I use organic whole milk yogurt)
3 Tbsp. Flax Seed Oil
2 heaping tsp. Green Magma (a barley juice powder, Just Barley is another brand)
4-8 cubes (about 1 oz. each) frozen pureed cauliflower, broccoflower, broccoli, kale or squash (prepare just like baby food - cook, puree and freze in ice cube trays, then store in freezer bags)
Juice (I usually use OJ but Pineapple or a V8 Splash make a nice alternative)

Put all chosen fruits and veggies into blender, pour yogurt on top, add flax seed oil and green magma. The blender should be fairly full at this point but don't pack it in. Pour in juice to fill the spaces. Blend to smooth consistency. Serve to the troops and be sure to have some yourself!

Here's the deal - you don't have to use *ALL* of these things in every smoothie. It's very flexible. Although I gave approximate measurements above, you may note that I do not measure anything when making smoothies. I *ALWAYS* use the banana (it smoothes out the flavor), yogurt (makes it creamy), and juice (makes it possible to blend) but everything else is debatable and subject to what you have on hand. If, for example, you put up 10 pounds of organic blueberries but no peaches last summer (as I did) then you probably won't be using peaches in your smoothies this winter but opt instead for blueberries.

Do start easy with the green veggies! You can slip in a lot of cauliflower or broccoflower but the darker green veggies do change both flavor and color!
If you've chosen green veggies like broccoli or kale or if you've been generous with the green magma, the smoothie may take on a brownish color. If your smoothie consumers might find this unappetizing, either serve it in a cup with a lid (like the kind you get to take home from restaurants) or cover it with a little whipped cream - but watch out for trans fats when you choose whipped cream! Cool Whip is not actually food, FYI. You surely don't want to undo all the good you're doing by serving your lovely, nutrient dense smoothie! Once your children have accepted the smoothie, you can be more liberal with the greens and they probably won't mind a bit.