When it comes to my kiddo’s eating habits, I really can’t complain. However, there’s one thing he absolutely dislikes. Fruit. Amazing, isn’t it? I thought kids took to fruit naturally? Guess not. Aside from apples and an occasional grape, he’ll simply refuse to eat any kind of fruit unless it’s mashed, blended or incorporated into something.

Now for a short while I wasn’t even all too unhappy about that – this was after a frightening trip to the emergency room when he was 18 months old. He had a serious allergic reaction to some strawberries he ate earlier that day and I mean real serious. The kid had hives so bad, it was almost like his whole body and face were covered in huge blisters. Not to mention his terribly swollen eyes. Pretty scary.

So we’ve been testing the waters ever since. Seeing what fruits he can or can’t have (with a safe stash of anti-histamine in the fridge) and turning whatever he could have into a smoothie.

It got me hooked on smoothies as well. I found it’s fast, tasty, refreshing and it doubles as a healthy snack or breakfast for those times when I need a quick energy kick but run out of time.

Here’s our favorite.

Ingredients:

1/4 tsp vanilla essence
1/3 cup blueberries
1/3 cup raspberries
1/2 cup apple juice
few mint leaves
1/4 cup yogurt
3 ice cubes
1 banana

Directions:

Blueberries are perfect for smoothies. They possess a natural sweetness so you won’t have to add any sugar. They’re high in antioxidants and are a great source of vitamin C. The banana will give the smoothie its creaminess. The raspberries, well, they got this funky color thing going for them :)

Break out your blender. Peel the banana and slice it.

Add 1/3 cup blueberries and 1/3 cup raspberries to the banana slices. There’s something enticing about the different colors and texture of the fruit piled up like this. Gorgeous.

Add 1/4 cup of yogurt. I’ve used 0% fat.

Also pour in 1/2 cup apple juice. This will add plenty of sweetness.

I’m cheating a little here. The kiddo loves to drink juice, I’m fine with that but it’s not something I want him drinking too much, too often. So I’m using a light/diet version with less calories. They also sell orange juice like this over here.

Also threw in 1/2 tsp vanilla essence. Just for the fun of it, because I could.

You can omit this step, but I love the freshness a little mint gives, so I’ve added a few leaves. Not too much, but I really miss it when it’s not there.

Add a couple of ice cubes. Just a few, going for a slightly frozen concoction, not a liquid ice cream.

Pop the lid on, sit back and enjoy the show. I love to see everything spin around until it becomes a smooth, creamy drink with a wicked color.

Is this wild or what? Has to be the girly girl in me. The one who secretly watched ‘Pretty in pink’ over 63.428 times but who refused to wear dresses until late in her 20′s. I still don’t like dresses, but I digress.

Pour the smoothie in a tall glass. When it’s just you and your kiddo, stick a straw in there and you’re good to go. Want to make an impression? Garnish with some leftover fruit and a little mint, put a cheap Ikea desk light on it and take a photo :)