WELL NOURISH | Protein Packed Smoothies That Kids Will Love!

By Rebecca A.

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There’s nothing that I love doing more than planning and preparing snacks and food for three kids with different preferences and food intolerances.  I tell you, it’s a BLAST. It’s right up there with my other favourite ways to spend time such as doing the dishes and folding the washing.

Yes, that’s sarcasm, and yes, it’s also true.

All three of my kids have different food intolerances, confirmed by allergy tests, and they all have varying degrees of reactions (all of them get a level of eczema which clears up quickly when we get the diet right). I will share about my youngest son’s SUGAR intolerance another day, but it is a long and sad story that impacts the entire family.

To cater for this combination of gluten, dairy and SUGAR intolerances, plus my middle son’s preference for vegetarian foods, I have had to get creative about how to include more protein into their diets.

My favourite way to do this is through SMOOTHIES. Mmmmmm.

I tend to go for smoothies that really pack in the protein with silken soft tofu, peanut butter, and chia seeds, all of which are high in protein. Throw the following ingredients into a blender and BAM - protein punch!

CHOCOLATE + PEANUT BUTTER + SOY MILK

• 1 cup soy milk

• ½ cup silken soft tofu

• 2 tablespoons peanut butter 

• 1 to 2 tablespoons cocoa powder

• 1 to 2 tablespoons honey

• 1 tablespoon chia seeds

CHOCOLATE + BANANA

• 1 cup soy milk

• ½ cup silken soft tofu

• 2 tablespoons cocoa (you can swap this out for or add peanut butter as well)

• ½ banana
  

• 1 to 2 tablespoons honey

STRAWBERRY + BANANA + TOFU

• ¾  cup water OR soy milk OR 100% fruit juice

• ¼ cup silken tofu

• ½ cups frozen strawberries (or any berries)

• ½ sliced frozen banana

• ½  tablespoon honey

• ¼  teaspoon vanilla extract

• ½  chia seeds (optional)

GREEN SMOOTHIE

• ½  banana

• 8-10 frozen strawberries

• 1 cup soy milk

• ½ cup spinach

• ½  tablespoon of honey

• ½ cup silken tofu (or leave this out)

Confession: my kids had no idea there was other types of smoothies until my oldest was about 7 – they thought smoothies only came in the colour green. This works best if you start them drinking green smoothies before they develop a deep distrust of any foods that are 'green'. Have any favourite smoothie recipes you want to share? Join our WellParent WeChat group by sending a message to our official WeChat account. 

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Originally from New Zealand, WellWomen co-founder Rebecca considers herself a global citizen, and has lived in Australia, Canada, Nigeria and Indonesia and spent time in many more countries.She is just as at home paddling on the Delta Rivers in the Papua New Guinea jungle, as she is eating jianbing on the streets on Beijing. With a diverse background in media, marketing, events and education, Rebecca has written for the World Health Organization, BeijingKids magazine and various educational institutes in Beijing. The founder of the Clothing Auction Network, Rebecca is passionate about sustainable and ethical approaches to fashion, and is also taking her family on the journey towards a Zero Waste lifestyle. She is passionate about sustainable living; the mind as our most powerful tool; taking care of the body as a vessel as a precious place for the indwelling of the Divine;  our heart as the driving force behind respectful relationships with our children, spouses, each other and the earth; and connection with the community as an essential requirement for wellbeing.