Everyone can practice healthy eating habits, but it is much easier to do from a young age. One way to do that is to introduce healthy smoothies into your family’s diet, especially for kids. Whether it’s a snack after running around on the playground or part of a healthy lunch, here are several ways that drinking healthy smoothies can be a good dietary habit for kids.

5 Ways Smoothies Are Fantastic for Kids

1. Convenient

If you’re an on-the-go family, smoothies are the perfect way to ensure that everyone has something healthy to eat. Rather than sugary cereal in the morning or processed meat for lunch, try blending up a smoothie of raw fruits and vegetables. It works as a to-go meal and will give your kids more energy than unhealthy sugars. 

2. Improves Vitamin & Mineral Intake

Smoothies are a good opportunity to reinforce proper vitamins and minerals into your kids' diet. Blending whole fruits and vegetables into a smoothie retains all of the essential nutrients. This way, your kids get vitamins, minerals, protein, and fiber in one package. Plus, you can blend in healthy vegetables, like kale or spinach, while masking their taste.

3. Superior to Supplements

Quality nutrition is essential for growing kids. Smoothies allow for a wide variety of real fruits and vegetables, full of raw vitamins and minerals, to be directly ingested. While taking vitamin supplements may give a small nutritional boost, they cannot match the quality or quantity of essential nutrients from real food.

4. Educates & Engages

Not only are they being fed quality foods, but most kids also want to learn to make their own meals. Encouraging them to learn the process, especially what foods to use and why, ensures that they grow up learning and practicing good eating habits. The earlier you start them, the less likely they are to abandon those habits later in life.

5. Offers a Healthy Dessert Alternative

Most kids love dessert, and a little treat now-and-then may not destroy their dietary habits but consider the possibilities of using smoothies to replace processed sugary sweets. A little cocoa, some banana, milk, or any other healthy ingredients you think might taste good, and you can make a dessert smoothie that your kids will enjoy. Plus, they’re still getting quality nutrition even though it’s dessert.

If you’re in the Tri-State area, and you want to treat yourself and your kids to a healthy lunch, stop by Learning Through Play Cafe, Inc. in West Chester, OH. They are a family-oriented cafe offering play spaces for kids in full view of parents’ seating and a wide variety of food. They also offer a full-service espresso bar and weekly craft sessions for kids. Call them at (513) 847-8133 or visit their website for more information.