Kale. It’s all the rage, and for good reason! Packed with antioxidants and phytonutrients, like the carotenoids for skin and vision (lutein & zeaxanthin), as well as calcium, iron, and vitamins K, A & C, it’s a cholesterol-lowering, anti-inflammatory, detoxifying powerhouse. We know we should be eating it, but how?
This tropical smoothie treat is a favorite in my family to make sure we start our day with a kale boost. Given its detoxifying powers, kale is actually a perfect morning food. All night as you sleep your body is working to clean out your system, so a serving of kale in the morning helps to move those toxins out. Plus, one of the best times of the day to eat fruit is in the morning, on an empty stomach. Therefore, morning + kale + fruit = best case scenario!
All it takes is 3 minutes. The fully formatted recipe is below, but here is all you really need to know: 1 cup kale, 1 medium banana, 1 kiwi, ½ cup water. Blend. Done.
Oh, and by the way, it tastes GOOD, and our little guy agrees. I started making this smoothie a few months back when our one-year-old was transitioning off pureed baby food and starting to eat real, adult food. While, as a baby, it was easy to include some kale puree in his mashes, I wasn’t sure how I was going to get kale into him now. Kale salads just don’t really fly with the little ones. Enter, this smoothie. We whip up a batch almost daily and he sips this along with his breakfast or at snack time, or whenever he’s ravenously finished everything on his plate and we need to grab something quickly from the fridge.
In summary, a 3-minute recipe with just 3 ingredients (+ water) and your whole family is off to a superfood start to the day.
- 1 cup kale
- ½ cup water
- 1 medium banana
- 1 kiwi
- Blend kale and water together for about 15 seconds. This helps to achieve a smooth consistency.
- Add peeled banana and kiwi. Blend for 15 seconds.
- Drink.
- Add more water if you like a thinner consistency to your smoothie.
- Some of the water can be replaced with non-dairy milk for a creamier consistency.
- Add a handful of ice with the banana and kiwi if you are drinking right away.
- Once you’ve incorporated this smoothie into your daily regime, try substituting organic berries for some, or all, of the banana. Organic berries have less sugar than bananas and pack an added antioxidant and phytonutrient punch.
