'Green Monster' smoothie - A healthy Halloween treat even the kids will love

Monday, October 15, 2012 by: Christy Pooschke
Tags: smoothie recipes, Halloween, kids

(NaturalNews) It's that time of year when kids look forward to eating and drinking the wrong rainbow of colors. From lollipops to gummy ghouls, they are surrounded by artificially-colored and chemically-flavored treats intended to make Halloween "fun." Of course, most of these treats contain a toxic load of corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, and other food additives - the long-term effects of which are...well, not so "fun." This Halloween, celebrate with a fun "Green Monster" smoothie. The recipe here will satisfy children's desire to drink something "spooky" without damaging their health.

This "Green Monster" smoothie recipe is a convenient and sneaky way to get even the pickiest eaters to enjoy fresh spinach without plugging their noses. Imagine the satisfaction you'll feel by transforming a typical junk food (colored drinks) into one of the healthiest options you serve this Halloween. This smoothie is made from 100 percent fresh fruits and vegetables. Spinach is the star ingredient. It's a great source of fiber, potassium and iron, and it's the "monster" ingredient that makes this smoothie a fun, bright-green color. Fresh pineapple, bananas and freshly-squeezed orange juice complete the ingredients list to cleverly disguise the taste of the spinach while adding even more potassium, vitamin C and calcium to these treats.

Note - If your picky eaters don't like spinach, don't let them watch you make this recipe the first time. You may choose to reveal the ingredients to them after they've enjoyed the flavor. Once the "monster" ingredient is revealed, your picky eaters will soon be bragging to their friends about how much they enjoy eating their spinach.

"Green Monster" smoothie

Makes about three cups

INGREDIENTS:

One cup of fresh baby spinach, tightly packed
Two cups of ripe, fresh pineapple chunks, frozen*
Two medium, ripe bananas cut into chunks and frozen*
One cup of freshly-squeezed orange juice (about three Valencia oranges)

*Freezing the pineapples and bananas ahead of time will ensure that the smoothie is cold after it is blended, especially when using a high-powered blender.

DIRECTIONS:

Place the ingredients in a blender in the order listed above. A high-powered blender works best. Blend until smooth, stopping to scrape the sides and "plunge" the ingredients into the blade as needed. (Plunging won't be necessary if you use a high-powered blender). Sweetness will vary depending upon the ripeness of the fruit, so use the ripest pineapple and bananas available. If you prefer less sweetness, substitute filtered water for part of the orange juice. If the smoothie is thicker than you'd like, add water or juice until desired consistency is reached.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=43
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=7
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=34
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=37

About the author:
Christy Pooschke is a natural health advocate who became passionate about avoiding food additives after healing from years of chronic illness. Want more simple & tasty natural recipes? Check out her e-book, Eating Additive-Free- a natural cookbook packed with 160 recipes and a complete additive-free grocery shopping guide!