Proud mommy moment: My two-year-old daughter (pictured above) slurping down a green drink like it’s a milk shake!
When you think about it, it’s actually not that surprising. First of all, kids love color. If they’re so attracted to that green icing on top of a birthday cake, why wouldn’t the natural green color from freshly juiced kale be appealing? In addition, adding bananas and pineapple make the juice sweet, so my daughter just can’t get enough.
However, as kids get older, like my other two did, they learn what goes into those green drinks…and suddenly become conveniently "allergic" to them. My son will drink fruit and vegetable drinks, he likes the Chocolate Silk Greens from Barlean's (where the fruits and veggies are masked by chocolate), but I have a harder time getting him to drink a green drink made from kale and spinach.
Read more: The Benefit of Green Juice
I always loved the idea of drinking a green juice for breakfast, but to be honest, what was holding me back was the cleanup from my juicer. I am super busy in the morning, as most of us are, and I didn't want to deal with the mess before I started my busy workday. Then, about a month ago, I was shopping with my eight-year-old daughter and we came across a Vitamix demonstration. We watched the demonstrator whip up juices, smoothies and soup right before our eyes. But what REALLY caught my attention was the easy cleanup. All she did was rinse the blender with dish soap and water and presto, it was clean!
So now I didn't have an excuse. I bought a Vitamix using a 20% off coupon which made it a bit more affordable. It took me about a week to get used it to (I wanted to return it at first), but now I'm addicted to it. I use it two to three times a day, at least, making green drinks, smoothies and frozen treats for my kids. It is an investment for sure, but totally worth it.
Read more: 10 Smoothie Recipes for Your Mood and Needs
This year, I started my own organic garden, and the combination of going outside every morning and picking fresh kale and swiss chard and putting them into my healthy breakfast green drink is amazing.
The other day I was tending to the garden with my nine-year-old son and he asked me if he could try a piece of kale. I was elated and told him how healthy kale is for him. He put some in his mouth and said, "It's OK. If it's healthy then I'll eat some everyday." Whoa! So I asked if he'd have it if I put it into a green drink for him with other fruits.
He said, "NO."
I didn't push my luck.
For now, I will continue to give my two-year-old daughter a green drink as long as she will drink it because that way I can ensure that she packs a whole lot of vitamins and minerals into her growing body, and it has the benefit of providing ample nutrients in one sitting.
If you want to trying a morning green drink, you can start with this recipe for my favorite green smoothie. It makes me feel fantastic and gives me more energy throughout the day. I am confident it will make you feel that way too.
Get the Recipe here: Andrea's Favorite Energizing Green Smoothie
