Froggie Smoothies and Other Yummy (Healthy) Snacks

I get so bored with our standard snacks. So I recently emailed Jessica to ask what she gives her three-year-old trio for snacks. Her instant answer: “Froggie Smoothies!”

You won’t believe this, but the secret ingredient that earns these fruit smoothies their “froggie” moniker is . . . raw spinach. Yep, raw spinach. Seriously. You can put in an entire bag of it without tasting it at all. Talk about getting your greens for the day! I have to admit that I didn’t believe it until I tried it, but now I and the boys LOVE them and I’m ready to shout from the highest mountains “Froggie Smoothies! Feed your kids Froggie Smoothies!!”

Froggie Smoothies*:

• Frozen fruit (blueberries, peaches, and/or strawberries are our favorite)
• Banana (sometimes we put in two; sometimes none)
• Spinach (raw; packaged spinach for salads is easiest, but unwashed bunches from Henrys are cheaper)
• Pineapple or Orange Juice
• Ice
• Plain yogurt (optional)
• Flax seeds (optional; Jessica swears by them, but I haven’t gotten around to buying them to try it)

Adjust the amounts to your thickness liking. Blend in blender until smooth. Note: Not much ice is needed since you are using frozen fruit

Like I said, I was a Doubter, so I started out light, throwing in just a handful of spinach leaves. Thumbs up! The next day, two handfuls. Double thumbs up!! Now we throw in a whole bag, with each boy putting in the biggest handful he can. Yes, the boys know about the spinach. I believe in teaching them how to eat well even as I’m hiding the veggies in their meals. They think it’s a hoot to jam those leaves into the blender. I think it’s a hoot that they get their fill of green leafies for the day. Hurray for Froggie Smoothies!

Now the boys want to make Beetle Smoothies. Huh. I haven’t figured out a recipe for that, but I did come up with the next best thing: Frog Smoothie with a Beetle on Top. Hey, whatever works.

Here are some other snacks we serve. What are YOUR favorite kid-friendly snacks?

Goldfish crackers
Cheese sticks
Dry cereal (Life, Oatmeal Squares, Cheerios, Gorilla Munch)
Rice crackers
Toast with peanut butter and “no sugar added” fruit spread
Hummus with pita bread, crackers, or carrot
Fruit—especially grapes
Dried fruit—especially mangoes, blueberries, craisins, and raisins
Oatmeal cookies with raisins and walnuts
Pumpkin bread with raisins and walnuts
Yogurt or Yogurt Parfaits (with thawed frozen fruit and granola)
Whole Wheat Fig Newtons
Bagels
Energy Bars from Vons
Cottage Cheese
Garbanzo beans
Quesadillas
Nachos (toasted corn tortillas with refried beans, cheese, olives

*To be truthful, Froggie Smoothies not actually green. But they do have green specks in them. You can call that the crushed up froggie guts if that works for your kids.

-Debbie
Mom to 3-year-old BBB boys