| Parents have a difficult job. Fear is everywhere, and | | | | alone. Not something that will happen overnight, but |
| if we responded to all the adverts around us, making | | | | well worth doing. |
| us afraid of the air we breathe and the water we | | | | Here are three smoothie recipes to help with the |
| drink, we'd live a sad, drab life. Most of us struggle to | | | | process. |
| find the right food for our children. They need liquid, | | | | 1. The original ice cream drink. It's important to use |
| they need vitamins, they need fiber and they need | | | | strawberries and bananas here because they are nice |
| protein. Sadly many of the popular drinks contain only | | | | familiar fruits - don't try to introduce anything weird |
| carbohydrates, and rather too much of that, they | | | | or wonderful. If you can't get strawberries because |
| are also expensive. I found that my kids would drink | | | | of the time of year, frozen ones taste great. |
| cans, but they had learned so much about pollution at | | | | Strawberry and Banana Ice Cream Drink |
| school that when I suggested water as a substitute | | | | 1 large banana |
| they thought I was mad. | | | | 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream |
| The problem with cola/soda is that it's sweet and | | | | 3-4 fresh strawberries |
| kids get used to that. It can also contain caffeine | | | | Blend them all to make a refreshing drink that's great |
| which has more effect on small bodies than it does | | | | for the summer. |
| on adults. In fact when you get right down to it, you | | | | 2. Staying with nice, familiar strawberries, blend them |
| wonder why we let them drink it all. There are many | | | | with fruit juice and start to introduce some other |
| alternatives. Sparkling water is one, smoothies are | | | | fruit. |
| another. | | | | Pineapple and Strawberry Smoothie |
| Most of us think of smoothies as creamy drinks, and | | | | 8 large strawberries |
| this is great initially when you are persuading your | | | | 1/2 banana |
| kids to try them out. Imagine if you could persuade | | | | 3 pineapple slices |
| your children to drink something which supplied them | | | | 1 cup of apple juice (no added sweetener) |
| with the water they needed AND lots of minerals | | | | If this isn't sweet enough, try adding just a little |
| and vitamins, without the caffeine and excessive | | | | honey. |
| sweetness? Guess what? That ideal drink's a | | | | Blend it all together until smooth and then add 1 cup |
| smoothie, so you'll need a blender. | | | | of crushed ice as the final touch. |
| Take a look at any smoothie recipe and one thing | | | | 3. This last recipe introduces melon. I love the taste |
| that will jump right out at you is the sugar content. | | | | of melon, especially water melon, but I've never been |
| Although smoothies are made with real fruit, modern | | | | able to persuade my kids to eat it. This recipe had |
| tastes seem to prefer food which is far sweeter. | | | | the opposite effect. They liked the drink and so |
| The good things about this is that the sweet tooth is | | | | were curious about the fruit. The happy result is a |
| learned, so it can be unlearned. Ask anyone from | | | | house full of melon eaters. |
| outside the USA and they'll tell you that everything | | | | Strawberry Fair |
| here tastes sweet to them, often too sweet, in | | | | 2 cups fresh strawberries hulled and chopped |
| comparison to the food in other countries. You will | | | | 1 cup apple juice |
| have to sweeten smoothies to get your kids to drink | | | | 1/2 melon peeled and chopped into chunks. |
| them at first, but don't copy recipes slavishly. Try to | | | | As always, add honey if required. |
| reduce the sweet element little by little. If you start | | | | I like to add ice cubes once the fruit is all smushed |
| with ice cream (which has already been sweetened) | | | | (technical term) together, the kids seem to enjoy |
| you'll be fine, but when you use fruit with yogurt, it | | | | the destruction involved! |
| needs a little something, so why not try honey? | | | | Weaning your kids off cola is no easy job, but it's |
| Honey is sweet but unlike sugar it does at least | | | | very worthwhile, especially if you can do it by |
| contain some minerals and vitamins, so it's a step in | | | | introducing smoothies. You might just succeed in |
| the right direction. The real trick is to slowly reduce | | | | teaching them that not everything that's good for |
| the amount of sweetener in the smoothie until you | | | | you tastes bad. |
| get to the point where you can rely on the fruit | | | | |