Shake it Up

By Ilana Katz MS, RD, LD

Here is a delicious and nutritious idea for time strapped parents looking for an alternative snack or even meal for their kids. Making shakes or smoothies offer a fast, nutrient dense meal or snack that enables protein, vitamin, calcium, healthy fat and fiber requirements to be easily met.

Smoothies are typically made with fruit and some form of calcium based product, such as whey protein, milk or yogurt, all of which provide an excellent way to add foods like berries, mango or pineapple, helping fulfill the American Dietetic Association/Food Guide Pyramid’s  Five-a-Day fruit and 3 a day dairy recommendations. Just one half cup of milk and yogurt adds at least 30% of the daily bone-building calcium needs for kids.

Shakes also supply muscle building material with the protein being supplied by the milk, yogurt or whey powder. Furthermore, they are energy enriched and therefore provide a great in-betweener just for an energy boost either first thing in the morning for breakfast, or in the middle of the day as a snack or meal.

Keep in mind your children’s needs, because not all smoothies are created equal. Some are more a decadent milkshake than healthy snack. A good example of this would be  Smoothie King's Hulk Chocolate containing a whooping 1,269 calories and 44 grams of fat. This may be appropriate for a very fussy eater – the underweight child having trouble getting in enough calories for growth, but even then, be cautious, as you would not want them gaining fat over muscle tissue, which these sugar filled smoothies can be known to do.

Be conscious hidden sugar traps - Juice concentrates, fruit purees, frozen yogurt, chocolate milk and syrups increase sugar and calories.  So to keep the nutrient benefits real: Look for whole fruit or at least 100 percent fruit juices, fresh fruit is also rich in fiber, which makes smoothie more filling, helping to save on unnecessary processed snacks and junk food later on in the day.

Smoothies need not be gigantic. Extra ounces mean unnecessary calories, even for the growing child. It is better to increase the nutrient dense ingredients rather than unnecessary fat building calories: Ice cream, whole milk and cream can have a strawberry smoothie competing with the Dairy Queen, Wendy’s and McDonalds chocolate milkshakes in both sugar and fat. Skim milk, ricotta cheese or low-fat yogurt are better options, even for the kids.

There's more to making a great smoothie than tossing everything in a blender and hitting a button.

For better consistency and to prevent blender back-up, liquids (milk and water) should be added first, then soft items like fruit and yogurt, followed last by frozen items such as ice and frozen fruit. Nut butters, if appropriate, and protein powders are best added after an initial blending of other ingredients to prevent them sticking to the sides of the blender.  

Frozen fruit has some great advantages -  it adds a frosty thickness and creaminess versus ice which may water down smoothies. Furthermore,  frozen fruit (especially berries) provide disease-fighting antioxidants which is obviously missing from the ice cubes.

Instead of tossing out bananas that are over ripe, peel them and then freeze them in an airtight container which can also provide an frozen fruit option as an ingredient.

Once blended, if there are a few ounces that does not fit into the glass, pour the leftover smoothie mixture into popsicle molds and freeze. They then offer a refreshing treat on a hot day, and kids will love them.

ILANA’S SMOOTHIE RECIPES  - Both Kids and Parents have raved about

Mango Lassi   - A deliciously healthy, yet rich in flavour snack
1 cup Greek yogurt eg. Chobani or Fage
1 ripe mango (peeled, cut up, fresh or frozen)
1 Tbs honey  

Combine yogurt in blender with mango and honey and blend on high speed until smooth.

Nutrition facts: 161 calories, 7 grams protein, 31 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 2 grams total fat, 1 gram saturated fat

Energy filled breakfast - An on-the-go morning meal full of nutrient density  

¼  cup oatmeal
¼  cup raisins
10 almonds
2 Tbs ground flaxseed
½  cup skim milk
1 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon peel or a few drops of lemon juice (or both

Pour milk into blender and add remaining ingredients. Blend on high speed until smooth.

Nutrition facts: 286 calories, 13 grams protein, 36 grams carbohydrates, 6.5 grams fiber, 10 grams total fat, 2 grams saturated fat

Pour milk into a blender and add banana, choc powder and cinnamon. Blend until smooth.

Nutrition facts: 212 calories, 7 grams protein, 37 grams carbohydrates, 5.5 grams fiber, 4 grams total fat, 2.3 grams saturated fat