My Mother-in-law sends us some rather odd packages several times a year. They often contain news clippings from local Berkeley newspapers and a variety of herbs and foodstuffs. Because, you know, we don’t have organic food available in any major city outside of Berkeley. (Ha ha) Anyway, I have had a huge jar of hemp protein from one of her packages sitting in my cupboard for several months and decided it was time to do something with it. I hate wasting food, or anything, after all. I don’t have a problem with hemp protein. I just prefer to use more efficient sources of protein. Since my toddler goes through phases of refusing any protein at all, I decided to utilize the resources at hand for some toddler snack innovation.

Veggie, Fruit, and Hemp Smoothie:

• 4oz mango nectar
• 1/2 cup frozen green beans
• 4oz fresh or frozen broccoli
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 3 tablespoons hemp protein
• 1 banana
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil

The instructions are very complex:

• Place ingredients in container or blender.
• Blend.

I used my trusty stick blender and basically pureed until it was smooth enough to suck through a straw.

This created about 32 oz of bright green smoothie goodness which I let my two year old have for dinner as a meal replacement.

He chugged it all right down, despite it not being very sweet at all.  Lately, my toddler has been rejecting any greenery that is not very overcooked into unrecognizable mush. I figure this is a way for him to get more out of his vegetables. The applesauce and mango were things sitting in my fridge that needed using up. The vegetables are staples in our freezer. I think this type of smoothie would be really popular with oranges and kale! It can also be a good, natural remedy if your child is constipated. The coconut oil and fiber can move things along without stimulant laxatives.

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter
• Share on Pinterest
• Share on Email
• Share on Instagram
• Share on LinkedIn
• Share on Reddit

Subscribe to the Newsletter