Apr 24, 2017 I have been giving my blender a major workout this year. My kids (3-and-a-half and 18 months) embrace a variety of foods and flavours, but textures still give them trouble. Especially stringy textures, like with greens and asparagus and hard, crumbly textures like raw carrot or beet. I find smoothies are the easiest way to work in more vegetables. I partnered with Florida Citrus to bring you this recipe. Here, I paired yummy, naturally-sweet Florida Orange Juice with chopped raw beets and a couple of handfuls of frozen cherries. I like using orange juice in veggie smoothies because it adds a bit of natural sweetness and gives a cleaner, fresher taste than if you use milk. Buying Florida Orange Juice that says 100% juice means no sugar or anything else added, and OJ has the added benefit of offering a good wallop of vitamin C (plus folate, and potassium). I include a whole beet in my smoothie (most recipes only use a chunk), because I like it to taste something closer to veggie juice. And I want to be really clear that I don’t hide veggies in smoothies (or in anything for that matter) – the kids help me pick what they want, and help me to load the blender. (Sneakiness is not a good way to teach kids good lifelong eating habits.) I typically make this smoothie (or a variation) in the late-afternoon, so my kids have something to tide them over until dinner, and I have something to give me a burst of energy that’ll be quickly digested before a run. I also sometimes make it part of my immunity regime in the colder months, along with probiotics and vitamin D. Note: If you don’t have a particularly motivated blender, you might prefer your beet smoothies with cooked beets. To steam peeled, chopped beets quickly in the microwave, place them in a microwave-safe dish with 1″ of water and cook on high power for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Follow Florida Orange Juice on Facebook for lots more recipes!
