Toddler Smoothie Bowl!

If you’re looking for a fun way to get your toddler to eat his greens, look no further than our Toddler Smoothie Bowl!

Lately we are stealing every chance we can to get outside with the kids. Ciro is getting bigger and napping less, and because he no longer views his car seat as a torture device (thankfully), he’s becoming more portable. Perfect timing since the days are getting longer, and warmer!

Unfortunately this also means that all too often I either forget to plan ahead for lunch or dinner, or I need a healthy snack, and fast. Smoothie bowls are our latest solution – and honestly, what’s better than tossing together a few ingredients and letting the blender do the work?

We especially love this recipe because in one healthy bowl you get greens, proteins, omegas, and fruits. Slam dunk!

I don’t have to worry about keeping Penelope entertained while I make this – she becomes so curious and wants to “help”, so I pull up a stool and let her! She thinks it’s fun, and it makes her want to eat it even more.

This recipe makes enough for 1 toddler portion and 1 parent portion, with some leftover for the next day. The end result is creamy and nutritious. Enjoy!

AGE: 12 months plus
YIELD: approximately 2 cups
STORAGE: refrigerator friendly
PREP TIME: 5 minutes
COOK TIME: NO COOK!

Ingredients

1 cup frozen spinach
1/2 avocado, seed and skin removed
1 frozen banana
1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice)
1/2 cup frozen berries of your choice
1 tablespoon flaxseed
1 teaspoon chia seeds
1 teaspoon local honey
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

Toppings:

chopped nuts (barring no allergies)
shredded coconut (Penelope is currently obSESSED with coconut flakes!)
granola
more fresh fruit of your choice
almond butter (barring no allergies)

Directions

Place the all of the ingredients (except for the toppings) into the blender, and blend until smooth. The consistency should be thick – however if you find it to be too thick, add water one tablespoon at a time to slightly thin the puree. Scoop out portions into bowls for your toddler (about 1/2 cup) and you (about 1 cup), and store the rest in the refrigerator.

Top with your favorite toppings, and serve! You can see I added pecans, more frozen berries, and the rest of the avocado to mine. Penelope wanted the coconut shreds, granola, and frozen berries. (She did of course still eat mine, because you know how toddlers are!)

Notes

The variations and ingredient substitutes for smoothie bowls are endless: swap the spinach for kale, use any frozen fruit you have on hand, and use up whatever fun toppings you have in your pantry! This often becomes lunch for us, and sometimes even dinner, because WHY NOT? When you’re in charge of little mouths that need to be fed, and can whip up something nutritious that doesn’t require turning on the stove, well then SMOOTHIE BOWLS FOR THE WIN!

Also, depending on the ingredients you use – for example, if you omitted the honey in this recipe – you could even serve this to a baby before they are 12 months! We hope this recipe becomes for you what it already is for us – the perfect, frosty, warm-weather treat.

Do you do smoothie bowls? If so, show us what you come up with! Follow us on Instagram, and tag us!

If you enjoyed this post, sign up to receive our newsletter for other great ideas on feeding your baby, toddler, and family. Look out for our upcoming cookbook What a Good Eater! for baby & toddler recipes with healthy herbs and spices to add flavor and broaden your baby’s palette, expected April 2016.

About the Author
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About Alessandra Macaluso

Alessandra Macaluso is author of What a Good Eater! and The Real-Deal Bridal Bible, host of the Real-Deal Brides Podcast, and blogger at AlessandraMacaluso.com. Alessandra’s work is featured in several anthologies, most recently But Did You Die? which is the fifth installment in a New York Times bestselling series. She has contributed to The Huffington Post, Scary Mommy, and many other online publications. Her original screenplay “Polar Suburbia” placed as a semi-finalist in the Moondance Film Festival. Alessandra is mom to two toddlers and a twenty-five pound Maine coon cat who believes he is a dog. She spends her time driving her OCD husband completely nuts with her constant rearrangement of scenery in their home. Learn more at AlessandraMacaluso.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.