Smoothies And Juices

Why not try a few of these out this summer? All you need appliance wise is either a hand held blender for the smoothies or a smaller juicer for the juices.

 

You may notice that I don't use ice in juices and smoothies, not only does this water down the flavour, it can also put more strain on the body (especially the kidneys) if excessive amounts of ice cold drinks are consumed. A freshly made juice or smoothie is perfect and the sooner it is drunk once made, the more vitamins you and your family will be able to absorb. Also see a previous post on this blog called ´The White Stuff´ for more information about dairy foods.

 

Smoothie Ideas

Using banana and rice milk as a base you can create very creamy 100% dairy free smoothies. Rice Milk is preferred to soya as it is easier for the body to digest as raw soya products can cause inflammation and bloating. By adding a  few grains of sea salt you can also bring out the natural sweetness of the fruit and help balance the acidity thus making it easier to digest.

• Banana, Rice Milk, Strawberry
• Banana and Rice Milk with Almonds
• Banana, Rice Milk and Blackberries
• Kiwi, Apple, Banana and Orange
• Banana, Rice Milk and Pineapple
• Banana, Rice Milk and Peach
• Fruit Salad: Banana, Kiwi, Orange, Strawberry and Rice Milk
• Peach, Orange and Apple Juice
• Banana, Rice Milk and Cinnamon
• ?? (Experiment and enjoy creating your own flavours!)

 

Juice Ideas

MMmm fresh carrot juice! If you haven’t tried it, add it to your to do list this summer. Children will love the natural sweetness.

• Carrot and Apple
• Carrot and Pear
• Celery, Apple and Mint
• Pear and Apple
• Carrot, Orange, Apple and Beetroot
• Carrot, Apple and Celery
• Apple, Orange, Cucumber and Mint
• Apple, Cherry, Orange
• ?? (Experiment and enjoy creating your own flavours!)

 

Pan Fried

Add more interest to vegetables this springtime...

We can serve bright, colourful, crunchy, sweet and delicious vegetables which will be far more appetising to children than mushy, over boiled vegetables that do no favours in getting kids to eat vegetables.

Try this:

Pan fry some lightly steamed carrots (cut once length-ways), sliced cooked beetroot and asparagus or green beans with a little olive oil and few drops of soya sauce or tamari. This is great served with avaocado pate and as part of a meal (see recipe section of this blog for the avocado pate recipe).

A delicious, colourful, and appetising way to serve vegetables that will go down well with all family members!

Lovely Colourful Beetroot

There some people who have been put off by Beetroot over the years after trying it with excessive amounts of vinegar in salads. This is a shame as it is probably one of the most versatile vegetables there are. I have added a Beetroot pate recipe in the recipe section of this blog for you to try - perfect way to introduce Beetroot to your children along with a few (lightly) salted corn chips. Great for parties and not just childrens parties!

So what is so good about Beetroot anyway?! It is thought due to its levels of potassium, magnesium, iron, vitamins A, B6, C and along with antioxidant properties, it is great for improving stamina, assisting the muscles as well as helping the body to produce good quality blood. All essential for growing children.

There will be more beetroot recipes coming your way soon including a fabulous pasta sauce.

Mmmm!