Kale Smoothie

Yet another way to feed your kids their veggies!

Kale doesn't get as much attention as its other leafy green relatives such as spinach and lettuce.  This doesn't mean kale isn't deserving of some love.  In fact, with high levels of vitamins A, C, and K and a good source of calcium and fiber, kale is definitely a nutritional superstar in its own right.

What's more awesome (for me anyway) is that Trader Joe's has started selling ready-to-cook bags of chopped kale!  This is a pretty big deal to me because it saves me from having to visit a second grocery store just to get my kale fix.

Here's a simple smoothie recipe that combines kale, orange juice, and banana.  Consider using calcium-fortified orange juice especially if your kids are milk-allergic like mine.  The original recipe suggested using a little honey as sweetener.  I found the smoothie plenty sweet without any honey even though the bananas I used were slightly greenish.  I even packed in extra kale for more nutrients.  It did make the smoothie a little grittier but it didn't affect the taste.  Anyway, this is definitely a recipe that you can play with depending on your tastes.  My brother-in-law puts sun butter is his avocado smoothies so perhaps that might work as a protein boost for this recipe.

Kale Smoothies for Two
Adapted from the recipe discussed on blog Hold The Onions

2 cups of chopped raw kale, packed
1 cup orange juice
1 banana
1-2 Tbsp ground flax seed
Honey (optional)

1. Combine kale, orange juice, and banana in blender or a large bowl if you are using an immersion blender.  Blend until mostly smooth.
2. Add ground flaxmeal.  Combine until smooth.
3. Taste for sweetness.  Blend in honey if desired.