Spinach has always ben a regular on our grocery list but as of lately my almost 5 year old has taken a special liking to it because he likes how strong it makes Popeye and being strong is important to him. Talking about the benefits of healthy foods and specifically how they benefit kids such as making them strong, jump high, run fast, super smart, etc. is a great way to get children on board with eating healthy! I recently featured spinach in my Effortless Additions blog and I would like to share some very easy and nutrient packed recipes that we use around my house that include spinach!!
Smoothies
I can’t say spinach without thinking about smoothies! I always freeze extra spinach to use in smoothies and blended recipes that include spinach. The trick to using spinach in a smoothie is to blend it with your liquid and then add your other items, this always results in the smoothest texture for me. I will share a couple of smoothie combinations we make that include spinach – feel free to change it up to suit your tastes, anything goes when it comes to smoothies!
Strawberry-Banana
1 cup almond milk (or any milk you prefer or water)
Handful of spinach
1/2 tablespoon of coconut oil or a scoop of avocado
1 small ripe banana
Handful of Strawberries
Tablespoon of ground flax (feel free to sub hemp hearts, chia seeds, walnuts, etc.)
Handful of ice cubes
Blend first 3 ingredients until smooth. Add the rest and blend, add more liquid if needed (using frozen fruit may make a thicker smoothie). You can also add additional sweetener such as honey if you prefer a sweeter smoothie.
Berry Chocolate
1 cup water
Generous handful of spinach
1/2 tablespoon of coconut oil or scoop of avocado
1 tablespoon of cacao (or cocoa or carob powder)
1/2 small ripe banana
1 cup of berries (mixed or the same kind, whatever you have – my favourite is wild blueberries)
Tablespoon of ground flax (feel free to sub hemp hearts, chia seeds, walnuts, etc.)
Handful of ice cubes
Blend first 4 ingredients until smooth. Add the rest and blend, add more liquid if needed (using frozen fruit may make a thicker smoothie). You can also add additional sweetener such as honey if you prefer a sweeter smoothie.
Peanut Butter Cup Chia Pudding
As I mentioned in my Effortless Additions – Spinach blog, adding spinach to recipes with chocolate is an easy way to get kids to eat it. The chocolate hides the colour and spinach has a very mild flavour that is easy to cover. We recently made this Peanut Butter Cup Chia Seed Pudding and it was a big hit with both of my kids! It’s two different flavours layered together so they enjoyed being able to layer it in their own bowls when it was time to eat it.
Another easy way to use spinach is to add to homemade popsicles. It would go great in these popsicles featured in my poolside snacking recipe post.
Juicing
Since spinach has a nice mild flavour, it makes an excellent vegetable to use when juicing and is always in the juicing rotation at my house. I love how much energy I get from juicing and all of the nutrients it provides (and are so easily absorbed). Please don’t mistaken store bought “juice” for freshly made in-home juice, there is zero comparison. Here’s a couple of juicing recipes that we use – remember that you can take out, add in or change whatever you like – anything goes when it comes to juicing!
Please note that while juicing makes nutrients super bioavailable to your cells, those benefits can be offset by chemicals and pesticides used on produce. Make sure to buy good quality produce (organic, local) and use fresh produce to reap the benefits of juicing.
Beet-licious
1 small beet peeled
2 big handfuls of greens (baby spinach)
1 small lemon, peel chopped off (leave lots of pith!)
Some fresh Beet-licious juice
1 cucumber
2 apples
2 carrots
handful of fresh parsley
1 small chunk of ginger
1 small chunk of turmeric
*If I have pineapple I will add in a few pieces of the core for extra sweetness, switch the kinds of apples I use or swap apples for pears or oranges.
Chop fruit and vegetables as per your juicer’s instructions and juice away! I like to add some water to mine and serve with ice. I store any extra juice in a glass bottle in the fridge topped off with water to protect nutrients and drink within 24-48 hours.
This one is a sweeter juice that we make as a treat sometimes
Sweet Orange…I mean Green!
2 oranges (peeled)
1 carrot
small handful of spinach
Chop fruit and vegetables as per your juicer’s instructions and juice away! I like to add some water to mine and serve with ice. I store any extra juice in a glass bottle in the fridge topped off with water to protect nutrients and drink within 24 hours.
I hope you and your family enjoyed some pf these recipes and were able to effortlessly add spinach to your meals/snacks and enjoy the nutritional benefits!
~Angelina
p.s. If you are looking for tips or suggestions regarding introducing new foods or meals to your family, please check out my Family Consultation package that I offer. I would love to help your family on their journey!
