How to get kids to eat spinach

OK, so I guess it wasn't just the photo issue that was causing my blog-posting procrastination :o)

Today I just wanted to share one little tip that has been working for us lately.

I have been really trying to "up" my vegetable intake over the past several months. Particularly greens, since science is showing just how important these are for keeping us healthy and preventing major diseases.  This effort has included venturing in to the world of green smoothies.

I noticed lots of references to kids enjoying them too, so I thought I would give it a try. Well, Kate was not universally impressed. She would drink them sometimes, but not reliably and certainly not a whole glass. BUT - what she will eat any day of the week is a green popsicle (a green smoothie poured into popsicle molds). Seriously, she eats one of these almost every day. She feels like she is getting a treat and I know she is getting her greens. And I don't have to restrict them in any way like I do for other treats - I would let her eat them multiple times a day if she asked.

There are a TON of green smoothies recipes out there if you care to search, but my go-to formula is simply one whole piece of fruit - usually an apple or pear - blended with two handfuls of spinach and enough water to get the consistency you want. (For freezing it doesn't really matter if it is a bit thick, but if I'm making it for myself to drink I prefer it on the thin side - more like juice.) Sometimes I add other things, if I'm feeling creative, but usually I just keep it simple.

In terms of blenders, I'm no expert, but I'm very happy with my new Magic Bullet. Mostly because it's SO MUCH EASIER TO CLEAN than a regular blender. That was one of the main reasons I rarely used my old one - I couldn't face the thought of hauling it out and then having to clean it. The Magic Bullet has just two pieces that you can quickly rinse under the tap. It also takes up much less counter space than a standard blender. I don't miss the larger size of the standard blender either because if I'm blending a large batch of, say, soup, I have a stick blender to do that right in the pot.

So that's my pearl of mommy wisdom for today - I'd love to hear if green popsicles work in your house!

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