This yummy toddler smoothie method is simple to blend up and even easier to customize for breakfast or snack time. It’s a perfect smoothie for kids since it’s naturally sweet, loaded with nutrition from fruit and veggies, and tastes great! Plus: The one master recipe can be made 10 easy ways.
Healthy Toddler Smoothies
One of the best ways to help your toddler and older kids eat more fruits and vegetables is to pack them into smoothies. By starting with one master smoothie recipe and varying it based on what your kids like (and for any food allergy concerns), you can increase the likelihood that they will actually drink it—which is clearly key!
This recipe is flexible and versatile.
To be completely honest, my oldest has never been a fan of smoothies. Because of that, I tried very hard to get my second and third kids to like them right from the start. I make them smoothies a few times a week so they are familiar and I’m happy to report that she’s a total fan.
We love smoothies for healthy breakfasts and snacks. And it’s nice that you can keep almost all of the ingredients on hand in the freezer or pantry.
Table of Contents
- Healthy Toddler Smoothies
- Smoothies for Kids
- Ingredients You Need
- Step-by-Step Instructions
- Smoothies for Toddlers with Food Allergies
- Kid-Friendly Constipation Smoothie
- Smoothies for Toddlers to Gain Weight
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Best Tips for Success
- Favorite Healthy Toddler Smoothie (with Veggies!) Recipe
Smoothies for Kids
One of my best tips for helping kids like smoothies is to avoid packing them too full of extras. Because if you go overboard on veggies and things like chia seeds, a kid smoothie can taste like sludge really fast. But thankfully, you can still make a healthy smoothie that’s packed with nutrition if you know how to balance the ingredients.
TIP: If your toddler regularly drinks milk at breakfast, try switching to smoothies some days. This has the benefit of allowing you to fill their bellies with a range of nutrition and flavors.
Ingredients You Need
There’s one master recipe here, but you can pick which fruits and veggies to use so you can customize it for your child.
Generally you’ll need:
- Milk (I prefer non-dairy)
- Fruit
- Veggie
- Frozen banana
- Optional add-ins
TIP: I like to do half frozen fruit and half fresh fruit to avoid having a smoothie that’s a nice and easy thickness for toddlers to drink.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s a look at the process involved in making smoothies for kids. Scroll down to the bottom of the post for all of the recipes.
- Add the milk to the blender. (We prefer nondairy milks since they seem to have a slightly better consistency and less of a tendency to separate after blending.)
- Add the fruit and veggie.
- Add any optional ingredients.
- Blend the smoothie really well to ensure that it has a very creamy texture.
- Serve it in a reusable pouch, a small open cup, or in a sippy cup depending on what your kid likes best.
TIP: To help ensure a good texture and flavor in our veggie smoothies, we pick just a few ingredients each time and keep the flavors simple.
Smoothies for Toddlers with Food Allergies
If your toddler has food allergies, it’s easy to adjust a smoothie for them. If they are allergic to bananas, use 2 tablespoons avocado instead or try a teaspoon or two of nut butter. Use whichever type of milk you prefer—almond, flax, coconut, rice, dairy, or even kefir.
We tend to use Silk Protein Nut Milk, Ripple Milk, or New Karma Flaxmilk in our smoothies.
Kid-Friendly Constipation Smoothie
If your toddler has frequent constipation or a sudden bout, a smoothie with hidden veggies can help. Consider adding chia seeds or hemp seeds, and a small spoonful of coconut oil, flaxseed oil, or avocado. You can also use full-fat coconut milk as the base.
The healthy fats can coat the digestive tract, making it easier for food waste to pass through. And, since the foods in toddler smoothies are already blended, it’s much less work for their digestive systems!
TIP: This is my best Constipation Smoothie recipe.
Smoothies for Toddlers to Gain Weight
If your doctor has told you that your toddler needs to gain weight, a smoothie can be a helpful mealtime tool. Consider adding nut butters, avocado, healthy oils (flax, fish), full fat yogurt, hemp seeds, and offering a serving of a toddler smoothie at snack time, mealtime, or as a bedtime snack.
Use those in between times to get in a little extra nutrition and calories (though remember that we can’t impact how hungry our kids feel).
TIP: Find more foods to help toddlers gain weight here.
Frequently Asked Questions
After a baby is eating solid foods, they can start smoothies almost right away. Avoid using sweetened milks and opt for a plain unsweetened nondairy milk instead. And serve on a spoon, in a very small open cup or in a reusable pouch. (You just don’t want to substitute it for breastmilk or formula.)
If you have a kid who won’t eat many vegetables, veggie smoothies can be a great option since the veggies are served in a slightly sweet drink that tastes like a milkshake. Resist the urge to add more of any vegetable than my recipe below because that may impact the flavor or texture. And be sure to blend them very, very well.
And try some of the combinations below that aren’t green first, since pink, orange, purple, or even white smoothies are often much less alarming than green ones. Then, once you have a smoothie fan, try offering a green one!
Frozen banana and mango make smoothies very smooth and creamy. Then you can add in almost any other fruit to make a delicious flavor combination
You can add hemp seeds, chia seeds, yogurt, avocado, fish oil, and/or nut or seed butters in small amounts to smoothies.
(I don’t add things like bee pollen or collagen or protein powder because while I know that some swear by these types of smoothie boosts, I find them to be expensive and not very accessible for most people. If you like them or want to try them, by all means, go for it!)
Best Tips for Success
Here are some tips to consider when making a fruit and veggie smoothie for your kids.
- If you can freeze the greens ahead of time, the finished product will taste much less “green” but will have the same nutrition. Just make sure the greens are dry, then put them into a zip top freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Blend really (really!) well to get a very smooth consistency, adding a little more milk (or even water) as needed to thin.
- You can get a less thick texture in toddler smoothies, which some kids prefer by using fresh fruit rather than frozen—and this is also a good option for winter days when a frozen drink is less than ideal.
- You can use yogurt in place of milk if you add a fruit with a lot of liquid like a clementine or orange.
- Try using half milk and half yogurt for a creamier texture some toddlers may prefer.
- Serve toddler smoothies in a reusable pouch (we like Squeasy Gear!) or in a cup with a straw.
- You can also offer small tastes with a spoon if you have a child who isn’t yet a fan. Consider even a small sampling a success!
- Sprinkle on some granola or a favorite cereal and serve as a smoothie bowl for a fun variation.
- And if nothing else works, freeze them into popsicles!
I’d love to know if you’ve tried this recipe and what your family thinks of it so please rate and comment below!
Favorite Healthy Toddler Smoothie (with Veggies!)
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk (I prefer nondairy)
- 1 small banana (fresh or frozen)
- 1/2 cup fresh or frozen fruit (such as blueberries, strawberries, mango, apple, or kiwi)
- 1/2 cup veggies (such as kale, spinach, raw fresh or frozen chopped cauliflower, raw fresh or frozen sliced zucchini, raw fresh or frozen sliced summer squash, roasted sweet potato, roasted butternut squash, steamed diced beets)
- Optional add ins (pick 1-2: 1 teaspoon hemp seeds, chia seeds, or ground flaxseed 1 tablespoon nut butter 2 tablespoons avocado 1-2 teaspoons cocoa powder 1-2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup 1 tablespoon rolled oats)
Instructions
- Add chosen ingredients to a blender.
- Blend until very smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl and adding more liquid if needed.
- Serve immediately.
Equipment
Notes
- Blueberry Cocoa: Milk, banana, blueberries, spinach, cocoa powder
- Strawberry Banana: Milk, banana, strawberries, raw cauliflower, hemp seeds
- Mango Coconut Sweet Potato: Coconut milk, avocado, mango, sweet potato (cooked and cooled)
- Honey Peach: Milk, banana, peaches, raw summer squash, flaxseed
- Creamsicle: Yogurt, banana, orange, butternut squash (cooked and cooled)
- Tropical Greens: Milk, banana, kiwi, kale, chia seeds
- Cocoa Banana: Milk, banana (1 whole), spinach, cocoa powder, nut butter
- Tangy Peach: Kefir (instead of milk), banana, peach, honey, raw cauliflower
- Cinnamon Apple: Milk, banana, apple, raw summer squash, dash cinnamon
- Strawberry Beet: Milk, avocado, strawberries, raw beets (or leftover cooked), maple syrup
- If you can freeze the greens ahead of time, the finished product will taste much less “green” but will have the same nutrition. Just make sure the greens are dry, then put them into a zip top freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- You can use raw cauliflower, zucchini, beets, and summer squash. (Or you can freeze those raw veggies and add them frozen.)
- You can add fully cooked and cooled sweet potato, butternut squash, and beets. (Any kind work, even leftover puree, as long as it’s not seasoned or salted.)
- Blend really (really!) well to get a very smooth consistency, adding a little more milk (or even water) as needed to thin.
We LOVE our Yummy Toddler Food recipes! My question is when using fresh zucchini or summer squash do you peel first? Is there a benefit to NOT peeling? I’ll be making these for my 10 mo. and 3 year old!
Thank you!
Hi! We do not peel both because it’s easier not to and because you get extra fiber if you leave the peel on. I hope that helps!
Can You use frozen vegetables from bag ? Like put directly into the blender with the fruit ? Or it has to be thawed and cooked ?
Technically, frozen veggies are meant to be cooked to eliminate any risk of food borne illness. I often freeze fresh veggies (like I put raw cauliflower into a freezer bag and I freeze fresh greens) to use in smoothies.
Can the squash be raw or does it have to be cooked?
I do it raw!
Love this! Is it ok to refrigerate leftovers and use the next day or is it only good for one time use?
It should be fine a day later, just the consistency may change slightly. (Blueberry smoothies may separate when stored but the rest should be fine!)
Does banana go in all them or just the ones listed with banana?
It’s listed in all but the mango flavor (but you can use it there too if you want!)
Very helpful and yummy for kids of all ages. That’s what I’ve been looking for.
Thanks for providing such great recipes! Just what I was looking for!
Hi. i am loving tonread all the recipes. They bseem so delish. I however have a query. Would it be recommended to give raw spinach, cauliflower, citrus & milk combos, to my 1.5year old? Would it given her stomach bugs???? Please i am looking forward to trying the recipe s but wamted a quick approval
It should not give stomach bugs.
Is there any reason I can’t just freeze extra smoothie for an easy toddler treat for later?
I tried to make the cocoa banana smoothie but I added some strawberries as well. It was not sweet at all and 2 out of 3 of the kids enjoyed it. It has a bitter taste and even after adding a little honey the flavor got no better. I added kale in place of spinich, I did 1/2 milk 1/2 plain yogurt, and added some nut butter. Anything I should had not done or any way to make it differently next time?
It’s possible that the combination of strawberries, kale, and cocoa powder added the bitterness. Spinach is much milder in flavor and strawberries are often not super sweet in a smoothie. I would be sure to use the banana and if it’s brown or very ripe, that will help.
Hi um, I think I left a comment already but I can’t see so Ijust wanted to tell and ask you I am 12 years, so which smoothie would you recommend.
Maybe one with cocoa powder if you like that flavor?
Um, hi I am 12 year old, do you have any recipes that you would recommend for me, since I can’t seem to pick any.
Hi! Excited to try some smoothies for my picky toddler who does not eat fruits and vegs. I had 1 question- can I substitute blueberries/strawberries in your recipes for raspberries/ cranberries/ blackberries?
Thanks!
Do you recommend yellow squash or zucchini where you said to use summer squash?
Either will work. If making a lighter color smoothie, the yellow squash color will blend in nicely. You can also peel the skin if you’re worried about the green color with a lighter color, but they essentially both work the same.
1 Orange, 1/2 cucumber, 1 red apple, 1/2 sliced carrot, 1/2 peeled tomato
When serving these smoothies for breaks fast, do you serve alone or offer something else in addition? My toddler struggles with breakfast foods, and I, in turn, struggle with trying to figure out what to offer him that is nutritious enough.
It depends on the child and their appetite. We often have smoothies alongside a piece of whole grain toast or a muffin or dry cereal like Kix or Cheerios.