Drink Your Fruits and Veggies

I like to think that I do a good job at giving the children healthy food choices.  The reality is...not all the time and especially when life gets busy and unpredictable.  We most certainly fall short in the fresh fruit and vegetable categories.  So, about a year ago, we purchased a Vitamix blender with the hopes of incorporating more fresh and whole foods in our diets.  I am so happy with this purchase!  While it is capable of doing MANY things, it is most used for smoothies in our house.  The goal is to get a rainbow of foods into the Vitamix each time.  Here is an example of a recent creation:

 

Red-strawberries, Orange - carrots, oranges, orange juice, mango, Yellow - bannana, pineapple, Green - spinach (yes - a whole handful of spinach!), Blue - blueberries, Purple - grapes.  Every color of the rainbow!   I also add about a cup of vanilla yogurt and an apple...what color does that fall under?  Then, I flip the switch and blend it all up until....

 

it looks like this.  The first time I made it, my son said, "Ewwww....looks like gunk!"  The name has kind of stuck. Any smoothie with spinach in it has become a "gunk" smoothie.  We ran out of spinach yesterday and the kids all thought that it tasted and looked funny without it!

And just in case you're wondering, "Could it really taste good with all that stuff in there?"  Here is the 17 month old enjoying her HUGE glass of smoothie.

I know, I know, the cup is as big as her head!  But she loves it and it is SO GOOD for her little growing body!

So, I know that I can still make huge strides in the nutrition area, but I feel confident that we're on the right track. 

I'd love to hear any tips/tricks for healthier eating that have worked in your families.

God Bless!

Heather :-)