Orange, Mango, Banana Smoothie

We visit Starbucks at least once a week. I used to laugh at the thought of someone ordering a drink that takes 10 minutes just to order because the name is so long, custom drinks to the extreme. I am now that person... Me and my double tall, one pump, soy white chocolate mocha with no whip. I can't help it, I'm spoiled.

The kids like the Vivianno smoothies; the Orange, Mango, Banana is their favorite.

We've recreated this deliciousness at home to make it cheaper, healthier and tastier because it's made with Love :) I'm drinking one right now... Mmmmmmm. The perfect mid-morning snack.

Having very ripe fruit is essential to a good smoothie; brown spotted bananas, squishy oranges and mangoes are a must!

Ingredients (makes 4 servings):

2 very ripe bananas
1 large very ripe orange
2 very ripe mangoes.
1/2 cup yogurt (we used honey Greek)
1 cup almond milk (more or less to achieve desired consistency)
Handful of Ice (unless your fruit is frozen, then you can skip the ice)

Directions:

Throw it all in the blender and blend until smooth. Add more milk to thin it out if needed.

For even more fun, throw it into popsicle molds and freeze!

Hulk Smoothie

My three boys Love Hulk. It is super cute to watch 2 year old Joshua use his "big voice" and say "Hulk Smash!!!!!" We like to have smoothies as part of a snack or with breakfast in the morning. When trying to lose weight smoothies make a good snack alone or meal replacement with some protein powder added. But for these little boys, they need the extra calories so we add the smoothies to their meals.

Smoothies are the perfect way to get your kids to eat fruits and veggies. My boys love fruit anyway, except Joshua who loves it on his own terms. He loves bananas, raisins, dried mangos, freeze dried fruit and apples. Anything else he won't eat unless it's of smoothie consistency. He's always been very talented when it comes to swallowing his spoonful of yogurt while simultaneously spitting out the itty bitty pieces of fruit.

Spinach - I seem to sneak it into everything - is a great superfood and is one of the handful of veggies that slips unnoticed into a fruit smoothie. Well, not completely unnoticed. While you can't TASTE the spinach, it does make your smoothie green. Luckily most kids think fun colored foods are well... fun. Just give it a fun name like "Hulk Smoothie" or "Popeye Smoothie" and they'll at least try it and realize they love it.

If they still won't drink it I have another trick up my sleeve.... put it in popsicle molds and stick it in the freezer. I haven't met a kid yet that would turn down a popsicle.

We use whatever we have on hand for our smoothies, but here is one of our favorites.

Hulk Smoothie:

Ingredients:

2 mangoes (peeled and chopped)
1 banana
2 cups raw baby spinach
1 cup 100% cranberry juice
handful raw almonds
1 Tablespoon flax seeds
Water to get your smoothie to desired consistency
handful of ice

Directions:

Wash your fruit and veggies. Put everything in your blender and mix! Add water until your smoothie is of desired consistency. Drink up! *If making popsicles put it into your molds and in the freezer.

If some of your fruit is frozen you can skip the ice. When we have too much fruit I chop, peel or whatever I need to do to prepare it when it's fully ripe and put it in bags in the freezer for smoothies. I learned the hard way that you have to peel a banana before freezing it. Have you ever tried to peel a frozen banana?

Before you say "Eeeew!" try it! You can't taste the spinach, flax seeds or almonds. I HATE almonds, but they are really good for you. This is the only way I will eat them because I can't taste them.