Farmers Market Fruit Smoothie

farmers market smoothie

farmers market smoothie

Our friend Renee from Raising Generation Nourished shared some tips for how to do farmers market shopping with kids. Read on for the tips, plus a yummy smoothie recipe you can use for all those fresh fruits and veggies you find.

This time of year, you can find just about every color of the rainbow at your nearest farmer’s market!

Even I get into a rush sometimes, just trying to get my list pounded out for the day, but it truly is amazing when you slow down and get the kids involved while you are produce shopping at your local farmer’s markets this summer.

My tips for farmer’s market shopping with kids:

1. Plan a little bit before you go. This doesn’t have to be a big thing. Talk to the kids about what season it is along with what produce they might find at the farmer’s market this month where you live. Then, let them help decide what they might like to see on your weekly menu using those in season fruits and veggies.

2. Let them bring their own bags. Little guys especially like being involved in the picking process! Show them how to pick out “their” veggie choice, and then let them carry it. An appropriate sized bag for your little one will help them feel more in control and a part of the whole process. They might only be carrying a tomato in their little bag, but it makes them feel proud.

3. Let them taste if the farmers are giving samples! Farmers are always so willing to show off their pride and joy! Take the time to let the kids ask questions about how they grow this or that, and how they pick it.

4. One fun, one staple, and one new. Most farmer’s market trips we take, the girls know they will get to pick out something fun! Maybe it’s a jar of jam, some flowers, or a new apron. Other times it’s their favorite fruit or maybe some infused raw honey. My girls also know we have staples such as lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers, and that we will usually try something new too. Make this part fun is how you’ll get around the scary idea of eating something that is foreign to them. There isn’t much “new” at the farmer’s market for my older kids anymore, since they have pretty much tried it all. But this really works well with toddlers, and I will be using it a lot with my 3 year old this summer.

A fun way to use “new” to you produce

Smoothies! While roasting works well to sweeten just about any veggie up for new tasting, I have found that sometimes summer just calls for a smoothie! If you have kids that are new to beets, this is a fun way to incorporate these nutritional powerhouses into their day, and help them see just how delicious eating healthy can be.

Notes on the beets

It is probably pretty common knowledge by now that beets are loaded with benefits. From vitamins and minerals, to their liver cleansing abilities, beets are a great veggie to get the kids used to on a weekly basis.

Beets just taste the best in a smoothie when they are cooked. Whatever the cooking method I’m using, I also toss the green tops in as well. They are chock full of vitamins and minerals and pop into a smoothie without any change in taste. Here are a couple options for cooking the beets:

- In your steamer basket stove top (about 20 minutes)

- In an electric steamer (about 20 minutes)

- In your pressure cooker/Instant Pot (high pressure for 7 minutes and quick release)

- In the oven (375 degrees for about 30-40 minutes. This will be too much cook time for the greens, so you can toss them in for the last 10 minutes or so.)

A quick prep tip too!

When you buy your bunches of beets, cook them up right away, and then freeze them in portions you want! I can fit 5 or so large beets in my Instant Pot along with their greens. Then I portion each beet and it’s greens into a bag for the freezer. It makes smoothie making that much faster, and the perfect busy morning breakfast.

Last but not least….

This smoothie freezes up GREAT! If you have kids that aren’t super excited about smoothies, I have found that the majority of kids won’t turn a popsicle down! Pour the smoothie into a popsicle mold with some wooden sticks and let the kids have at it on those power packed frozen treats!

INGREDIENTS:

- 1 – 2 cups full fat coconut milk or raw milk (Depending on how thick/thin you prefer your smoothie. Pictured in this post is 1 cup.)

- 1 large cooked beet, cubed (if your beets are small, you can use 2)

- Greens from one large beet, steamed/cooked

- 2 ½ cups frozen strawberries

- 1 tbsp friendly fat of choice (avocado oil, a pastured egg yolk, or melted coconut oil)

- 1-2 tbsp raw honey

- 1 tsp vanilla bean or vanilla extract

- 2 tbsp grassfed collagen

- 1 tbsp chia seed

- Juice from 1 lemon (optional – I love this, and 2 out of my 3 kids do as well. You can stir the juice into each cup per their preference if you wish)

DIRECTIONS:

Everything into a high powered blender, and blend until smooth. You can blend twice for the smoothest texture to ensure the chia seeds are fully blended.

You can freeze leftover smoothie, or the whole batch into popsicle molds!

farmers market smoothie

About Renee:

Renee Kohley Renee is a wife and momma of 3, the vision behind Raising Generation Nourished, and the author of Nourished Beginnings, a cookbook focused on nutrient-dense recipes for infants, toddlers and beyond inspired by traditional foods. She is passionate about raising the next generation of kids with a better understanding where their food comes from, and how food affects their bodies. She is committed to teaching others that simple, real food can make positive changes in health and can be done on a tight budget, all while making the kids smile.

Connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter.


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