Seriously Amazing Folks! (Toddlers and Raw Spinach?)

I'm glad it worked for you, but I've never been a fan of hiding veggies or tricking kids into eating them. I have a home daycare and feed all the children lunch daily, so it's not just my own child who eats her veggies and a wide variety of foods, but other people's children for over 7 years. I serve veggies at every meal and a wide variety of foods (from normal kid stuff to blackened chicken alfredo to potstickers to vegetarian lasagnas to indian food to raw veggies, etc.) and I simply serve small portions of everything and expect the kids to eat what I serve. If they don't eat something, they don't get more of anything. I know I'm old-school this way, but I think it's important to teach healthy eating habits instead of tricking kids into eating things, which will not really change anything when they're old enough to make their own food choices. They still won't choose spinach later if they only have it hidden in food. I know I'll probably get slammed on here for this, but if I can teach kids who aren't my own and who come to me at all ages to eat veggies and all kinds of foods, I think anyone can do it too.

Nice! Just wanted to mention that you should be sure to use organic spinach...conventional spinach is one of the worst (if not THE worst) veggies for pesticides. Yay smoothies! :)

That is a whole lot of sugar, even if it is fruit juice you are still causing the blood sugar to soar with that much juice. This should be a once a week treat, not a daily drink.

I think this is a great idea.
I never had to hide things. My kids would eat any and every fruit and vegetable God ever created. I was in the store one day when my son was about 3 and a person came up to me and said, "Excuse me, but did I just hear your little boy begging you for eggplant?"
It's true.
I always told my kids they could have anything they wanted when we went to the grocery store, but it had to come from the produce section. AND, whatever they picked, they had to try it when we served it. There was nothing they wouldn't eat.
I know so many people who have a hard time with vegetables and if you can get your kids to get them in smoothies, I say go for it!!!!
My son was at a friend's house and I called to tell him to come home in about half an hour for dinner and when he found out we were having brussel sprouts, he said his good byes and came straight home, excited over brussel sprouts. The mom said that she'd never seen a kid that excited over something like that considering she herself had never eaten a brussel sprout in her entire life.

You are doing a great thing by getting your kids (and the rest of the family) to get their veggies any way you can.

Best wishes!

~~ I am one of the moms that their kids eat their veggies. I asked my just-turned 3yo what his favorite veggies are and he said "Broccoli!" Cauliflower and carrots come in close behind. He also eats salads.

~~ You might be able to get kids to eat more veggies if they have something to dip it in. Kids LOVE to dip!! Try a healthy yogurt-based dip (plain low fat yogurt, dill, garlic).

~~ If you are set on hiding veggies, there are many ways to do so. Here are some books on the subject: Sneaky Chef (there are three versions) by Missy Chase Lapine, Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food by Jessica Seinfeld.

~~ I have been known to make a carrot puree and add it to home made mac and cheese. (You can also use cauliflower puree.)

~~ There is a documentary movie (Crazy Sexy Cancer - about Kris Carr) that has recipes for fruit and vegetable juice and smoothie blends in the bonus tracks.

~~ Montel sells the HealthMaster Fruit and Vegetable Emulsifier which has recipe books that come with it. You can see some of the recipes on the website.

I do the same thing in my smoothies....also add ground flax seed and coconut oil. I also use coconut milk instead of juice. I put ground flax into just about everything my kids eat. When we bake, we try to use coconut flour...also, Sue Gregg has lots of cookbooks that have healthy meal ideas for breakfast, main dishes, baked items, and other things. I am thankful that my kids will eat ANYTHING, so I don't have to do a lot of "hiding". One thing mine love is kale. Prepared this way, it's almost like a potato chip: wash and dry, remove the stems. Toss with olive oil. Roast in the oven at 375 for a few minutes and flip. You can tell when it is becoming crispy. Take from the oven, sprinkle with sea salt. YUM!

Check out Mothering.com for some information on smoothies and healthy eating...it is a great "crunchy" website that my daughter used extensively...you should be able to pick up lots of tips there!!

I got this recipe somewhere off the net a few years ago, and I enjoyed it.
1 Cup frozen blueberries
1 Cup fresh spinach leaves
1 Cup plain yogurt
1/2 Cup milk
1 Tbsp honey
The second time I made it I left out the honey. I couldn't ever taste it with the first batch to I figured why bother.
I totally agree with Shane, anyway you can get veggies in is great. I was one of those super picky kids, and honestly as an adult I am not much better at it. I buy my baby veggies that I have to choke down. And if it ever comes down to her refusing them, you bet your butt I will put them in a smoothie! I wish someone would have done that for me as a kid.
Even if it has nothing to do with vegetables, we substitute ice cream with a home made sorbet that I make, a splash of juice (I use OJ), ice, and fresh fruit...and blend...thats it. It comes out great, and you can vary the recipe by adding mixed fruits and if you like yogurt. (Since I had my baby I am trying really hard to change my eating habits).
Thanks for sharing! =)

Hidden smoothie tricks - you may wish to google red onion and strawberry. I read a recipe in a magazine once for a smoothie with red onion and strawberry. Yes it sounds weird BUT many salads have both those as toppings, so they do compliment each other nicely.

Thanks so much for the tip. I will DEFINITELY try this one on my 3-year old!

I wouldn't use so much juice. Try using some yogurt or milk. Sounds good, though! Have you thought about buying a juicer?

Added: There are a lot of online resources for you to look at to make a great smoothie.

Thank you! This came at just the right time for me. I've been worrying about my 2 and 4 year olds refusal to eat vegetables lately. This is a big change, since the oldest used to love vegetables! Less than a year ago he said his favorite food was broccoli, but lately I think anything starchy tops the list. I still offer vegetables daily and find myself coaxing, then nagging them to try some. This may be a phase, but in the mean time, I think I'll add hidden veggie smoothies and crispy kale chips to the menu!

I don't really have much to contribute, but as to the "hiding veggie" issue, I remember as a kid being told to mix my veggies with my mashed potatoes so they'd taste better. And they did. It got me to eat the veggies and be happy with the taste. So I think it's best to introduce our kids to veggies, but if we have to "hide" a few to make sure they get nutrition, so be it. We can introduce them officially at a later date when they're old enough to appreciate it. I doubt a 2 year old is scarred by hidden veggies, and the nutritional benefit is a bonus. I may start doing the "hidden veggie" thing for myself LOL!