Recipe: Piña Colada Smoothie with a Healthy Twist

With the Summer half way gone, here is to hoping that the sun will shine upon us soon or the tropical taste will bring us back to what Summer is supposed to feel like!

The challenge of making a healthy smoothie is finding the right balance between fruits & vegetables. I really like the idea of a 'green smoothie' because green leafy vegetables are so packed with nutrients and it is not always possible to get our kids or adults to eat them enough. Check out my guidelines on how to make a healthy smoothie.

I can't stress enough about the importance of getting your kids involved in the kitchen. Making a smoothie is a great way and tons of family fun! Get your kids involve by letting them pick out the ingredients, wash them, (my 10 months old helped me with tearing the kale :D), putting them into the blender and mixing it -> kids can get involved in age-appropriate tasks in the kitchen from the age of 1! This encourages them to try new foods, decreases picky eating and also teaches them a whole lot (fine motor skills, food origins, vocabulary, following instructions, healthy eating, etc). My son has learned more skills from eating alone than from any of his 'educational toys'.

Now the challenge of making a healthy smoothie is getting all the nutrients without sacrificing the taste and this green Piña Colada twist (sans alcohol of course) will not disappoint, Enjoy!

Piña Colada with a Healthy Twist - 4 servings

• 1 cup Kale (steam and leaves), teared

• 2 cups Pineapple, chopped

• 1 Kiwi, peeled

• 2 cups fortified Coconut Milk

Blend together until smooth, serve chilled.

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What are your favorite smoothie recipes? Tag @amychowrd or #amychowrd to share your creations!