The Smoothie Bar
NEWSLETTER – The Smoothie Bar- July 12
Planning for my kid’s class, called Healthy and Nutritious, I wanted something that the kids could make on their own, have fun with, and be good for them all at the same time. With the weather being so hot here in the middle of July, I knew they would love a cool, sweet smoothie. So, with a little bit of brain- storming, I came up with the idea of a Smoothie Bar. They could choose the ingredients, so long as they promised to use kale, or spinach as one of the ingredients.
If they ventured out to use the kale, they would get an extra star for an additional treat at the end of the class. I promised them they wouldn’t even taste the kale. The kids were very excited, and they had their choice of bananas, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, and even oranges. I made it simple, making everything they used with a 2-cup measurement. Of course, they had to use 1 cup of non-flavored yogurt, 1 cup of milk, and a tablespoon of honey to sweeten the pot.
There were blenders everywhere, brought in by parents and some staff members. We all started with 2 cups of either kale or spinach, of which they were not too fond. But then came the fun with the wide variety of fruit. I even had some maraschino cherries on hand to throw in at the end.
As it turned out, this class was a great success. The children absolutely loved the shakes, and when they were topped with homemade whipped cream and a cherry, they really thought they were in the best soda shop ever!
With their fun, they also received a paper on the benefits of kale. It read like this:
*Kale: Did you know that per calorie, Kale has more iron than beef?
*Kale has more calcium than milk.
*Kale has 10x more vitamin C than spinach.
*Kale has vitamin K, vitamin C, vitamin A, Potassium, and even Lutein.
*It is a well-known fact that Kale has anti-inflammatory properties.
*It is good for eyes, skin, reduces the risk for heart disease and CA.
*Kale lowers cholesterol, and it good for bone density.
So, the next time the kids in your family get bored, open a Smoothie Bar. Make it a daily practice and notice the pink in their cheeks.
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