Written by contributor Angela Stanford, MBA, RD, RYT Registered Dietitian/Holistic Nutritionist & Owner of Vital Nutrition and Wellness.

The kids have been back to school now for a few weeks, and already you may be searching for new, healthy ways to pack lunches that are made of whole foods, not processed foods laden with artificial ingredients wrapped in excessive packaging that could harm your children and their environment. Here are some lunch box  supplies that follow the good for the earth guidelines:

1. Lunchboxes Not Ziplocs! choose a sturdy lunchbox, free of BPA and PVC that is easy to clean with mild soap and water.

2. Reusable Containers: choose stainless steel containers for hot foods and BPA and PVC free plastic, reusable containers for cold foods, so these chemical don’t leach into the food. Buy larger containers of food and portion them into your reusable containers rather than buying single serving sizes. This reduces the amount of containers you chuck into the landfill and will save you some $$$$ too! If you do use single portion sized containers, make sure they are compostable or recyclable. Avoid using zip locks because they stay in the landfill forever!

3. Beverage Containers: choose stainless steel bottles (Kleen Kanteen) or BPA and PVC free plastic as a lighter weight option (Nalgeen is a popular brand). Sigg bottles are another brand that is lightweight aluminum construction with a liner that keeps the aluminum from leaching into the beverage. All of these containers are reusable and do not use resources like electricity and water to recycle plastic water bottles. Using stainless steel versus single use plastic water bottles also reduces the risk of chemicals in the plastic leaching into the water you child drinks. Replace beverage containers if they become dented or cracked.

4. Silverware: buy two inexpensive sets of stainless steel silverware for each child in your family – 1 for the lunchbox and 1 for the dishwasher to ease cleanup during the busy weekdays. This keeps plastic silverware out of the landfill leaching chemicals into the earth as they breakdown.

5. Cloth Napkins (2 for every kid): switch out cloth napkins when soiled and wash all with other towels at the end of the week to conserve water. Using cloth saves trees and energy and water used to turn the trees into paper napkins. Start a paperless kitchen here.

Now that you’ve got the eco-friendly lunch supplies, here are a few tips for parents and caregivers on how to be successful at packing a lunch that is good for the body and good for the earth.

How to Pack a Lunch: Good for the Body and Earth

1. Think 4 Colors: try to put 4 different colors in the lunchbox and take Mother Nature’s lead on encouraging kids to eat a rainbow of color for better health. E.g. turkey sandwich on 100% sprouted whole grain bread (brown), red apple, green edamame, orange baby carrots. You can save money too by looking for fruits and veggies in season. They are most often the produce items on sale.

2. Mix it Up: variety is the key to getting more nutrition in each bite and keeping choices fresh helps kids get more excited about what is in their lunchbox.

• Switch up the Sandwich – instead of bread, use 100% sprouted whole grain pita pockets, hotdog buns, English muffins, tortillas, 100 calorie rounds or a double layer of romaine lettuce leaves
• Hot alternatives – serve soups, burritos, pasta and stir-fries. Heat up a stainless steel thermos with boiling hot water for 5 minutes. Drain and then place the heated up leftovers in the warm container. Warming up the container ensures food will still be warm at lunchtime.
• Last night’s leftovers – leftovers make great lunches. You can serve them hot or cold depending on your child’s preference. Some kids like cold spaghetti with meatballs.
• Dips & Spreads – spread on flavor, protein, fruits and veggies with foods like pesto, hummus, roasted red-pepper walnut spread, salsa and 100% fruit spread. Remember choose organic when possible to avoid artificial ingredients and GMO’s.

3. Bring a Beverage: white milk or water only – flavored milk and juices (even if organic 100% juice) are filled with sugar and can contain as much sugar as soda!

4. Skip the Treats: cookies, candies and chips don’t belong in a lunch. Save the treat for treat-time, not mealtime. Fruit is a great sweet addition to a lunch that is already wrapped up by Mother Nature in natural packaging (skin) containing fiber to help stabilize the entry of those natural sugars as they enter the bloodstream.

Give it a try! Look at the lunches I pack for my two daughters below and try to pack your children a lunch that is both good for their bodies and good for the earth!

For more health and nutrition inspiration, visit Angela, a Registered Dietitian and Holistic Nutritionist, at Vital Nutrition and Wellness.

Join the discussion!

How do you pack a healthy and eco-friendly lunch for your child? Share your tips in the comments below.

Some parents are lucky and they have kids that will eat anything. But for most parents they struggle getting fruits and veggies into their kids’ growing bodies. And kids, much like adults, get stuck in a comfort zone– eating what’s familiar to their taste buds. Krissy shares an awesome hands-on activity that worked for her two kids, and I think that it might help you get your picky child to eat the good greens too.

Written by contributor Krissy of B.Inspired, Mama!

My kids are by far the pickiest eaters on the planet. I’ve tried sticker charts, bribes, threats, beatings (just kidding, of course)… But the best tactic so far has been giving my kids the job of “Taste Tester.” I was very skeptical that my little monsters would even participate. BUT…

…they LOVED IT! I went with a St. Patrick’s Day theme and chose 9 green foods to offer in muffin tins (check out these adorable animal and bug muffin tins on Amazon here and here).

I included celery (with peanut butter), green grapes, broccoli, green apples, green peppers, and sugar snap peas. And I threw in a couple green treats, too, like lime jello, green gummy candies, and mint chocolate chips.

I could not believe how excited my kiddos were to try every one of my choices!

They ate vegetables that have probably never hit their lips before.

I made a chart with smiley and frown faces for them to circle based on their findings. And I was surprised to see that Priscilla had more smiley faces circled than not. And she’s even been begging to taste test red foods next.

For more inspiring activities from Krissy, head on over to B.Inspired Mama!

Here are some other “green” food ideas for your taste test

• kiwi
• peas
• limes
• pears
• pickles
• broccoli
• zucchini
• edamame
• cucumber
• asparagus
• mint leaves
• green tomatoes
• baby spinach leaves

You could also experiement with a different color each week. I find Annabel Karmel’s book I Can Eat a Rainbow to be a great inspiration for younger kids to try different foods by their color. Let us know if you decide to try the taste test experiment at home. I’d love to see a picture of your budding scientist!

Join the discussion

Do you have a picky eater? What do you do to get your kids to try new foods?

If you are like me, you may have encountered many nights where your child protests bedtime. How much sleep do kids really need? How do you get your child to sleep at night, sleep in their own bed and sleep through the night? You know, peacefully without a million hugs, bathroom and water breaks, deep questions about life, and coming out of their bedroom every minute for the next hour. Don’t get me wrong I love a good hug. But a mama needs to know she can count on some “me” time as well as time to focus and get things done.

We have a pretty consistent bedtime routine, but nights are varied on how my daughter Zoe actually goes to sleep. Here are some of the sleep battles we have to handle when bedtime comes around…

Parenting Bedtime Battles

Sometimes it’s a full out tantrum sleep battle– like last night. Zoe, who is four years old, threw a very rare tantrum on the floor with kicking and shouting, “I’m not sleepy. I’m not sleepy! I don’t want to go to bed!”  My response, “Um, yes you are.” Fill in the rest of the story with with “frustrated parent speak” and a tag team with the hubby, “Baby, can you take her? I just can’t right now.”

Then there is the gentle and super clever protest. Zoe in her sweetest voice, “Mama, can you come cuddle with me?” My polite response, “Zoe, it’s bedtime now. I already cuddled with you for 30 minutes and we read three stories. Mommies need quiet time too.” “But I’m not sleepy.” “That’s okay,” I say, “You can just lay in your bed and close your eyes.” “But I don’t know how to close my eyes. I don’t close my eyes at night. I’m just different mama. I’m not like everyone else.” My response– baffled silence. How do you respond to that?

My absolute favorite is the “fall asleep in the car because we had such a busy day” bedtime routine. No battles happen here. And I have been guilty of telling my husband to drive around for 5 more minutes before we park, so we can skip the bedtime routine. Am I alone in this one? Mom guilt is slowly sinking in now.

And my not-so-favorite: your child coming out of the bed every few minutes while you are settled for the night ready to watch a movie. This in-and-out of the room wind down just drains my energy. I feel exhausted and defeated.

So we are always on the hunt for a better sleep solution. It’s very important that your child is getting the appropriate amount of sleep. That’s why bedtime routines are important– it ensures your child will get the hours of sleep their growing bodies need.

How do you get your child to sleep at night?

• Get your kids on a bedtime routine
• Start the Silent Sleep Experiment (post coming soon)
• Help your child sleep through the night with a night mantra (post coming soon)

Join the discussion

How many hours do your kids sleep at night? How many hours of sleep do you get? Share your typical bedtime battles with your child and let me know if they are anything like mine.

We used to focus on keeping Zoe in her bed all night. But now we just make sure she falls asleep in her bed with a consistent bedtime routine. If she makes a middle of the night creep into our bed, we are okay with a family bed for co-sleeping. It does not disrupt our sleep or marriage connections and my husband and I adore morning snuggles with our daughter. Of course with co-sleeping, you will have some interesting sleep positions in bed, but as long as you have a good bedtime routine, you will get quiet time in the evening when it counts the most.

Importance of a Kid’s Bedtime Routine

Kaiser Permanente, an integrated health care organization, says,

Continue a relaxing bedtime routine, such as reading a book or having bath time. Try not to stimulate your child with TV, games, or other activities right before bedtime. Make sure your preschooler falls asleep in their bed each night to establish the routine.

It’s best to start your bedtime routine about one hour before bedtime. First, set a time for your actual bedtime goal. Then set a time to start the bedtime routine where you are getting ready for bed. Both you and your child should unplug from the TV and other devices and connect for the last hour before you actually put your child to bed and say goodnight. I notice that when I am still wrapping up projects and cleaning up during Zoe’s bedtime routine, she ends up going to sleep later because I get caught up in doing my own thing while she is “supposed” to be brushing her teeth. The bedtime follow-through can only happen if you give your child the true attention they deserve from you the hour before they go to sleep.

You can find out how many hours of sleep your child needs here and adjust your bedtime hour accordingly.

So, here is an example of a bedtime routine for children that works for us. I hope it will inspire you to find a bedtime routine and rhythm that fits perfectly for your family.

Bedtime Routine for Children

7:00pm Give a 30 minute warning. Set the timer and let your child know it’s last call for water, bathroom and play. This is your time to wrap up your personal projects too. You can offer glass of water or warm milk and a healthy snack (like raisins, apple, piece of toast) during this time.
7:15pm - Get dressed and ready for bed. Put on PJs, brush teeth, pick out bedtime books and locate the stuffed snuggle buddies.
7:30pm - Read stories and chat. Bedtime stories, Cuddles, Questions and answers about the day. Kids tend to have a lot to say at night– it’s the perfect time for quality 1 on 1 conversations.
8:00pm - Say goodnight. True wind down begins after kisses, hugs, prayers, good night. Leave the room and give your child alone time to fall asleep and self-soothe.
8:30pm – Check on your sleeping Angel. This is where you check on your child to make sure they are asleep and give them a few extra kisses.

If you want to give your child a bath at night, I suggest you add that at 6:30pm, 30 minutes before the above bedtime routine starts.

Don’t forget to create a gentle and peaceful rhythm for your own nightly routine. How many hours of sleep are you getting at night? And how do you spend those quiet hours?

Start your own nighttime routine 30 minutes after you leave the room (so that would be at 8:30pm if you follow the above bedtime routine). This will help you stay calm and empathetic when your child starts creeping out of their room. I have a solution for the in-and-out of bed struggle that can happen after you leave your child in bed for the night. I will share that experiment with you next week. Before I started the “silent sleep” experiment, both my husband and I were guilty of yelling, “Get in your room! Go – to – bed – now!” Not the last thing your child wants to hear before they have sweet dreams.

Join the discussion

What time is bedtime in your house? I’d love to hear your kid’s bedtime routine. And how do you unwind for the evening once your child is out for the count?

It’s a struggle feeding my child healthy food all the time. Grocery store battles do happen. I give Zoe a Trader Joes treat– so I can shop in peace. I make promises to myself to not bring her to the store with me, but that’s near impossible. I let my daughter eat sugar-coma cupcakes at birthday parties. I serve my kid hot dogs. And she’s eaten Happy Meals. Convenience food is easy and well … convenient. But obviously super unhealthy.

I keep searching for ways to free my family from processed foods. We are in the middle of a food revolution in our household. I am guilty of sneaking into my bathroom to shove cookies in my mouth so my daughter does not see me eating the not so healthy “snack.” I’m a pro at turning my back and eating over the kitchen sink. But we’ve been making some major progress in what we allow in our kitchen these days.

I think as parents, we are just trying to help our kids not be addicted to the “empty calorie” foods that we were raised eating. I believe we can all agree that our children deserve to be healthy and we as parents are responsible to guide our children to make healthy choices. So try every possible way to get fruits and veggies in your child’s body. It’s not always going to be easy. But the success story will be that much more triumphant.

If you know you are not feeding your family enough fruits and veggies, then that awareness alone is half the battle. Let the food revolution begin!

How to encourage your child to eat more fruits and veggies

1. Let your child pick out fruits and veggies at the farmer’s market or grocery store. “Let me do it myself,” is a typical response from a young child. So why not let your child pick out their own healthy snacks? I let my daughter pick out  fruits and veggies on her own– usually 2-3 items. When we are at home, she will constantly ask to snack on the items she chose herself. Her favorites: strawberries, blueberries, grapes, avocado, and pomegranate (this is a messy one with a bazillion seeds).

2. Only offer healthy snacks. Kids are often hungry for a snack when out and about. I only pack fruit and veggie snacks with me. Dried fruit and nuts are great snacks to keep in the car at all times. I pack at least three different options for my daughter to choose from when I pick her up for school or we’re out running errands. Here is the combo I usually have on hand: banana, apple, pear, clementines, carrots, raisins, almonds.

3. Show off fruits and veggies. The easiest way to do this is to display your fruits and veggies in all their bright and colorful glory. Isn’t the veggie snack tray above super cute? How about using a heart cookie cutter for watermelon slices?

4. Make an easy to access fruit bowl.  You can put a fruit bowl on the counter (if your child can reach) or on a table. Put easy to grab and ready to consume pre-washed fruits in the bowl like apples, pears, grapes, bananas, nectarines and peaches. I let my daughter help me put away groceries. Her responsibility is to arrange the fruit bowls.

*Image via: Moodboard/Corbis

5. Have a snack shelf in the fridge. My daughter knows where to look in the refrigerator for easy to grab snacks. This is a good place to keep mini bowls with pre-cut fruit and vegetable servings ready to eat: carrots, pre-sliced strawberries, unsweetened applesauce, cheese snacks.

6. Have a snack basket in the pantry. I have a low shelf in my pantry that I dedicate to my child because she can see it and reach it. These are great for a quick grab and go snack. Inside the basket: tiny raisin boxes, kettle corn, nuts, cereal. You can buy in bulk and then make mini bags of these snacks.

7. Avoid adding sweeteners to fruit. My daughter loves honey. She will ask to add honey to her fruit. I tell her that fruit is naturally sweet, and it already has sugar in it. I keep repeating this to her so she knows that fruit is naturally sweet and tasty.

8. Cook meals and prepare snacks with your child. Expand your child’s vocabulary by introducing them to the ingredients you use in your meals. Zoe grabs a stool and sits next to me in the kitchen. Let them watch you cook and give them age appropriate tasks to be your little sous chef. They can measure and poor liquids, place cut veggies and herbs into small bowls, stir, push buttons, peel and spread. This is a perfect time for your child to sample veggies before adding them into the meal.

9. Blend green smoothies. Pack in your child’s fruit and veggie requirements by making a daily green smoothie with spinach, kale, banana and berries. Have your child help pour in the liquids, add the fruits and veggies and push the blend button. Serve it for breakfast or an afternoon snack.

10. Blend veggies into your favorite sauces. Some people call it deceptive. I call it brilliant. Make your favorite pasta sauce and blend it with veggies like zucchini, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, celery and sweet potato.

Just remember it takes time to adjust to new habits. With consistency, your child will understand what foods they have the option to eat. Kids are smart and will eat when they are truly hungry. If they only have healthy options available, your child will have to choose to eat something eventually. And guess what? It will be healthy!

Join the conversation on fruits & veggies…

How do you get your children to eat their fruits and veggies? Share your tip in the comments below! Struggling with a picky eater? Let us know what you are struggling with. Let’s get a dialogue started for getting good whole foods in our children’s bodies.

I asked a good friend of mine to share her story on how she keeps her family eating healthy. Meet my friend Jessica Houk. She teaches Early Childhood Education in Portland, Maine. She lives happily with her daughter, husband and a cat named Lily Serious. *image via

Pancakes from scratch

Saturday morning during my first year of marriage I came home from the grocery with a box of pancake mix. My intent was to impress my new husband with a delicious home cooked pancake feast. He found me in the kitchen unpacking grocery bags.

Holding up the box he said, “You bought pancake mix.” “Yes!” I replied exuberantly. “I’m going to make pancakes!” He repeated, “You bought pancake mix.”

“Yes!”
“In a box.”
“Yes!”
“Why don’t you just make them from scratch?”
“Oh no,” I said. “Way too complicated.”
He looked confused. “Do you know what’s in pancakes?”
“Oh tons of stuff!” I replied. “Why else would you need a mix?”

My husband got a copy of Joy of Cooking (that I didn’t know we had) from a cabinet. He showed me the pancake recipe.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups milk
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 large eggs

“Oh.” I said, noting that not only did we already have the seven simple ingredients in our kitchen which would have saved me the early morning trip to the grocery store but that the preparation of said simple ingredients was no more complicated than the instructions on my econo-brand Bisquick knock off box.

So- we made Joy of Cooking pancakes together, added a little vanilla extract (the pure stuff), some banana, and topped it with real butter and maple syrup. Oh lordy they were good. When we moved a year later I threw out the box of untouched pancake mix I’d stashed on a shelf.

This story is not about my newlywed attempt to play Happy Homemaker (although there were many others, equally naïve and rather pathetically cute). This story is about food lies. This particular lie is the one spun by the food industry that convinced us (or me anyway) that cooking our own food from our own single item ingredients is too complicated, too time consuming, that the product won’t taste as good, or will cost too much.

This is simply not true. None of it. I believed that because there were not only one type of pancake mix on the market shelves, but many, pancakes must be deadly hard to make. Why else make a mix? The same for pizza. Go to the freezer section at the grocery- how many types of pizza are there? Ten? Fifteen? Maybe twenty? It is SO EASY to make homemade pizza. I promise.

Same for chili, pea soup, tomato sauce, burritos, granola bars, enchilada sauce, macaroni and cheese… all things I love to eat, all super easy to make from scratch. But who knew? I didn’t. But I’ve learned. And I promise: It is entirely possible to make great, good for you food- easily, economically, and work it all into a busy schedule.

Cooking can be easy and fun

The secret is that you have to cook. The good news is, it is also a food lie that cooking is hard. Or un-fun. With practice and the right attitude it is both easy and fun. (I can tell you’re doubting me- but I kid you not.) I did not know how to cook at the time of the above story. I have spent the last eight years learning. Not fancy-pants cooking. Simple, feed your family, nutritious, real working mother cooking. And I gotta say- it’s pretty damn yum (most of the time).

The more I learned about cooking, the more I learned about eating, and the more I learned about eating the more important it became to me to eat well. When I was pregnant with my daughter I became super concerned with what I was feeding her. Because she ate through me, I had to become super concerned with what I was feeding myself.

I started to read labels on the food I bought. I discovered a few things:

• One, there is a lot of crap in commercially prepared food.
• Two, there is a lot of weird, unpronounceable crap in commercially prepared food.
• Three, I didn’t know what the weird, unpronounceable crap was and I didn’t feel so great about eating it.

After awhile, and after some reading, talking and research, I decided I’d see what happened if I stopped buying anything with more than five ingredients listed on the label, and with no ingredients I couldn’t define or whose names I couldn’t pronounce. This eliminated most commercially prepared convenience foods. So, in order that I should continue to eat the things I liked I had to learn to cook them. And I have. With happy success.

Granola Bars from “The Vegetarian Mother’s Cookbook”

3/4 cup raisins or chopped dried fruit
boiling water
3 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1 teaspoon cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup honey, maple syrup, brown rice syrup, or agave nectar*
1/3 cup peanut butter, almond butter, or tahini
1/4 cup raisin soak water

Place raisins in small heat-proof bowl or measuring cup. Add just enough boiling water to cover fruit. Preheat oven to 250. Oil a 9×13 inch baking dish. Drain raisins but reserve soak water.

In large mixing bowl, combine oats, seeds, coconut, cinnamon, and fruit. Place sweetener, nut or seed butter, and 1/4 cup raisin soak water in small sauce pan. Warm over low heat, stirring until smooth. Pour over oat mixture. Mix thoroughly. Press into prepared baking dish. Bake for one hour.

If crispy bars are preferred, bake an extra 15 minutes. Score into squares immediately upon removing from oven. Let cool. Bars will harden as they cool. Makes 18.

• Approximate Nutritional Information for 1 Bar: 163 calories; 5g Protein; 24g Carbohydrates; 7g Fat; 3g Fiber; 4mg Sodium
• Key Nutrients: .2mg Thiamin; .46mg Pantothenic Acid; 2.18mgVitamin e; 1.14mg Iron; 37.98mg Magnesium; .67mg Zinc

(* I don’t like agave nectar, but that’s for another post.)

- Jessica Houk

Speak your mind…

Was there a moment in your life that changed the way you see food?

How do I get my kids to eat well?
How do I get my kids to eat their green veggies?
How do I make a smoothie that my child will like?

As a parent, I know how challenging it can be to get kids to eat their veggies – especially the green ones. The answer for me came in a tasty cup of a fruit smoothie packed with fresh leafy greens, a green smoothie. Most kids love a sweet cold treat, so making this dessert-like beverage for breakfast has been the best healthy habit my family and I have made this year.

Making green smoothies is so much fun! Plus you get all these great benefits: lots of green veggies, plenty of fruits, an abundant amount of nature’s vitamins, and you get what your body needs— like live enzymes and essential amino acids (protein).

Image from: Happy foody

10 Kid-friendly green smoothie tips

Here are 10 tips and tricks to transition your child to drink green smoothies every day that I have used with my own child.

1. Make a Transition Smoothie: Being bold and extra green on your first smoothie attempt will not win new green smoothie lovers. Baby steps are the key to making a smooth transition to developing a taste for greens in your child’s smoothie. So make those first few smoothies creamy with a lot of fruit and just a hint of green veggies. Then with each smoothie you serve, add a little less fruit and a little more green leaves. Also a little less juice and milk and a lot more filtered water. Your goal is to pack in your child’s daily needs for green vegetables.

Great smoothie starter: Strawberries and Cream Smoothie
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 cup frozen mixed berries (the more berries you add, the more purple it looks)
1 banana
1 cup low-fat milk
1 cup V8 fusion fruit juice
1/4 cup fresh baby spinach

Hint: Make yourself a more green smoothie, and they may wonder why their smoothie is not the same color as yours. It worked for me, but may not work for all kids.

2. Be a Model Smoothie Drinker: I was guilty of not getting my daily green veggies, so it’s no surprise that greens were not in my child’s daily eating habits. Now that I am drinking my green smoothie for breakfast everyday, I am leading by example for my child. Green smoothie drinking is no longer an option, but a routine and healthy lifestyle choice in our household.

3. Start a Smoothie Race: Kids love a challenge, and a smoothie race is a great way for you and your child to gulp those nutrient packed smoothies down super fast. This is the best fast food you could ever have. My daughter, husband or I say,”Smoothie Race!” and we all know the race is on. After a few sips, we put our cups together to see who is in the lead. This is actually a great motivator for adults to finish their smoothies quickly before they go off to work.

4. Name Your Smoothies: Got a favorite green or purple character? Why not name it after them? Our green smoothie is called The Green Hulk (My husband can’t help but impart his love of comics with our daughter).

5. Add a Straw: Silly Straws are a hit in our house. Just make sure to rinse them right after, so the smoothie doesn’t dry out in the straw.

6. Add Something Special on Top: Missed blending a smoothie for breakfast? Make a special after-school snack treat with a little Soy Whip Cream or garnish it with a flower, sliced strawberries or a paper parasol. But make sure they know this is a very special treat.

7. Focus on the Easy Greens: Fresh baby spinach and kale seem to be the mildest of the greens, and they are easy to find at your local grocery store.

8. Prep Together: Let your child participate in the whole smoothie preparation from the grocery store to blending. Have your child help pick out which fruits and veggies to buy, wash the fruits and veggies in a colander, and measure and pour the water into the blender.

9. Serve It with Style: Present the smoothie in a pretty dessert glass and serve it with a spoon.

10. Encourage Healthy Choices: Add the term “growing food” to their vocabulary. Set a routine and boundaries for healthy eating. When your child is looking to indulge in a not-so-healthy snack, ask them, “Did you finish your smoothie today (answer: no). That’s so sad; I give treats, to kids who finish their growing food and drinks. Are you ready to finish your smoothie? (answer: yes). Great, that’s a healthy choice you made!”

When you blend leafy green vegetables, they are a lot easier to digest. The fibers are liquified making the nutrients absorb super easy. Studies have shown that children and adults alike generally accept a new food by the eleventh try. So join the Family Sponge community in a smoothie challenge and make a healthy habit last a lifetime!

And once your child is ready for a little more green, go ahead and try this recipe: Banana Berry Spinach Smoothie.