Berry beet smoothie with broccoli is a healthy, pretty fruit smoothie with a double dose of vegetables — a great way to get kids to enjoy their veggies!
Today's recipe goes in the mom win category, when I'm constantly keeping up with my kids and their changing food preferences. Kinda like my cheesy broccoli and black bean tostadas and almond butter zucchini muffins.
My daughter currently has this weird thing where, if I serve her something in a bowl and call it a fruit mixture, or our go-to yogurt with fruit mixes (which she has loved and eaten multiple times a week for several years now), she starts to whine.
But if I put that exact same mixture into a cup, offer her a straw and call it a smoothie, well, it’s drained in about 60 seconds flat.
Silly kid.
But smart mama, so we’ve been having lots more smoothies around here! 😂
I even bought a huge container of straws from Amazon to have on hand. (Next time I may buy the fun colored straws.)
I kinda think the straws are their favorite part. It’s the little things, right?
We’ve done all kinds of fruit smoothies, green smoothies, yogurt smoothies, peanut butter smoothies and more. So many combinations, so little time!
And today I wanted to bring you a bright, fresh, winter-appropriate smoothie that’s loaded with good stuff!
This berry beet smoothie with broccoli is full of sweet berries and has both beets and broccoli for a double hit of veggies.
I have given them a berry beet smoothie at lunch, for an afternoon snack or even with their dinner.
It’s a great way to round out a meal and make sure they’re getting a few servings of fruits and vegetables.
Recipe Notes:
This recipe calls for cooked beets. I cheat and buy the package of pre-cooked beets at the store. (We always have these around for beet hummus, another kid favorite here.) You can also roast yours - wash and trim off the leaves, then coat the beets in a little olive oil and wrap up in an aluminum foil packet. Place on a baking sheet and roast at 375 for 45-60 minutes, until tender. Let cool, remove the outer skins and they are ready to go.
You also need to lightly steam the broccoli. You don’t want it fully cooked and completely soft, just a little bit tender to take the rawness off and help it blend better. For me, it's about 5 minutes of steaming.
I use frozen mixed berries, that have been thawed in the refrigerator, but you could use all of one type of berry or you could substitute fresh fruit if you have some.
You can’t really see or taste the broccoli in this smoothie, but if you think your kid will balk, try the recipe first with half the amount. Add in a little more each time you make it until it’s up to the full amount in the recipe. Better to go slow and get them hooked!
On that same note, feel free to add a teaspoon of honey to sweeten it up.
You can make a big batch of this and store the extra in the fridge for a couple of days or freeze it for up to 3 months. You could also freeze some of this mixture into popsicle molds for a smoothie popsicle!
Feel free to adjust the recipe below to make more - or just bigger - smoothies. You can also make a big batch and store the extra in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for 3-4 months.
Do you make smoothies for your kids? What are some of their favorite combinations? Leave me a comment below!
XO,
Kathryn
Berry beet smoothie with broccoli
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups mixed berries, (thawed, if frozen)
- ½ cup cooked beets
- ½ cup lightly steamed broccoli
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a blender. Blend until smooth.
- Serve immediately, refrigerate for up to 3-4 days or freeze up to 3-4 months.
Chelsey
I love love loveee this!! It's so thick and creamy! And I love that your kids totally drank it right up! Pinned!h
Kathryn
Thanks Chelsey! Hope you give it a try 😊
Dawn @ Girl Heart Food
Kids are so funny like that! And no one (especially me) can resist a cute straw, lol 😀 Hubby and I have been drinking smoothies for breakfast for the past few months and we love 'em! We try all kinds of combos and it is a great way to get out the door in the morning. I've never had this combo before, but it sounds delicious and lovin' the colour!! Plus, so much goodness going on 🙂 Looking forward to trying this one. Happy New Year, my friend. Cheers to a fabulous 2017!!
Kathryn
Smoothies are such a great way to start the day - especially yes, when you're on the go! XO
Sera B
Looks delicious! Where do you buy cooked beets?
Kathryn
Hi Sera! I have found them at my regular grocery store (Melissa's is the brand) and at Trader Joe's. They are in the produce section in are in a sealed plastic container that's wrapped in a cardboard box. There's a picture of the Melissa's brand in this post: https://www.familyfoodonthetable.com/beet-hummus/. Hope you can find some!