Spinach Tips AND Smoothie Recipes!

Eat Your Spinach! No, I mean it. And if you have children, make them eat it too! I have a couple of easy ways to help you get your kiddos to eat that highly nutritious green leafy goodness. Best part, I know it works because I used my own kids as guinea pigs. They're handy like that.

According to this study on www.nutritionfacts.org  only 1% of American children are eating the same or less than the recommended amount of non-beneficial (junk food) calories per day. In other words, 99% of children are eating more junk food than what is recommended in a day. The recommended amount is actually 25% of your daily food intake. (Seems a bit high to me) Which means 25% percent of your meals could be junk food like cotton candy and you would still be within the recommended guidelines of the standard american diet. Yet, most people, adults and children both, are not even staying within or below that 25%.

No wonder there is a childhood obesity epidemic in this country. Time to make some healthy changes, adults and kids! Here are a couple of smoothie recipes to help you out!

Berry Yummy Smoothie

1 Cup Almond Milk
1/2 Cup Uncooked Oats
5-6 Baby Carrots
1 Cup Raw Baby Spinach
5 Fresh or Frozen Strawberries
1/2 Cup Fresh or Frozen Blueberries
1/2 Banana
Ice
Blend ingredients in blender until smooth. Add more Almond Milk as needed. The berries change the color so you can't tell by looking that there is spinach in it. You can also use orange juice instead of Almond milk but that is too much sugar for my taste.

Peanut Butter Smoothie

1 Cup Almond Milk
1/2 Cup Uncooked Oats
1 Cup Spinach
1 Banana
2 Tablespoons of Peanut Butter ( I use MaraNatha Organic No Stir Creamy Peanut Butter)
Ice
Blend ingredients in blender until smooth. Add more Almond Milk as needed. This one ends up being a light green color which is fine with my kiddos. Make up a goofy name like 'Green Goo' or 'Green Slime' and most kids will think it's cool and drink it anyway. All you taste is the peanut butter and banana.

Fact: Spinach has anti-inflammatory AND anti-cancer benefits.

Fact: The Vitamin K in spinach helps promote bone health.

Fact: Spinach is a good source of dietary fiber.







Fact: Spinach is high in anti-oxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin E, manganese, zinc, selenium, and beta-carotene.

Enjoy!
Peace, love, happiness!
~Bekah