Very Berry: Kid-friendly, delicious and healthy

There have been some nasty viruses floating around this year so I’ve been packing my smoothies full of vitamin C. Berries are a great source of vitamin C, plus they’re low in natural sugar.

I make my kids a smoothie most mornings, they also really like to have one for their after school snack. Smoothies are such a good way to get some nutrition into your family. I don’t know about you, but I can pack a lot of goodness into my blender.

I like using apple cider as a smoothie base because it is naturally sweetened. A good apple cider has only one ingredient: pressed apples. I also like using coconut water because it is naturally very hydrating, kind of like a healthy version of Gatorade ... minus the food dye and crazy amounts of added sugar. You could also use dairy-free milk as your smoothie base, I’ll leave that up to you.

Adding chia seeds and avocado will bump up the nutritional content even more. They’re both full of healthy fats; much needed brain fuel. They’re also both high in fibre which is really good for our digestive system. Adding healthy fats, fibre, and proteins to a smoothie makes the sugar rush a little easier on the body.

Very Berry Smoothie

1 cup apple cider

2/3 cup coconut water (or water)

½ frozen banana

1/3 cup blueberries

1/3 cup raspberries

2/3 cup strawberries ½ tablespoon ground chia 2 inch chunk of cucumber a handful of spinach

½ an avocado

1 scoop protein powder (we like SuperHuman or Genuine Health Fermented Vanilla)

Add all ingredients to the blender and blend until smooth.

If the smoothie is too thick, just pulse in some more coconut water, or plain filtered water.

Serve immediately or store in a sealed glass until ready to slurp!

Yield: 2 kid-sized smoothies. Maggie Savage is a holistic nutritionist who blogs about healthy gluten-free living. Find more of her recipes at www. SheLetThemEatCake.com