04/30/2007

Foodie with Family

It can take a smooth operator to get kids to eat fruit

By Rebecca Lindamood
Local columnist
shakeyourfoodie@
yahoo.com

Read Rebecca's past columns here

If you are like me, you have one or more children who don't want to eat anything that has not mooed, clucked or gobbled or is not a deep fried tuber.

My big boys, Liam and Aidan, will try any vegetable or fruit at least once and adore salad. That's where the easy ends. My 5-year-old, Ty, has gravely told me repeatedly, "Mom. I do not wike vegetables. I do not wike fwoot. I will wike them when I am 6.” He used to tell me he'd like them when he turned 5.

My 1-year-old baby, Rowan, will eat any vegetable I put in front of him. Fruits are another story. Any fruit I manage to get in his mouth gets extruded back out past his lips like a Play-Do press.

On the other end of the spectrum is my 3-year-old, Leif, who regularly informs me, "I wuv fwoot but I hates veggies, Mommy. You're beeeeutiful, Mommy. You have eyes wike oceans.” Now that is one smooth piece of distraction.

I've also had some successes by employing a lesson I learned once from a "Calvin and Hobbes” comic strip. Calvin was at the table pushing food around his plate and asked whether he had to eat the green stuff on his plate. The mom told him he probably shouldn't because it would turn him into a weird green mutant alien. He shoveled the contents of his plate into his mouth.

I used this genius bit of strategy to get my kids to eat a big bowl of tahini beanies. I also got them to eat vast quantities of fresh beets by telling them it would make them have bright pink pee. And I don't even think I need to tell you how I got them to eat beans. Anyone who's been a kid in America knows that one. I know I'll regret this someday.

I do have one thing that always works and doesn't make me feel like I need to wash my mouth out with soap. Smoothies.The wondrous thing is that all of my kids eagerly drink them up. No complaints, no whining, no wheedling, and no ultimatums: they simply love smoothies.

I keep a stash of bananas peeled and frozen at all times so that I can make these whenever I'm short on ideas or time. They're so simple; they can be made with nearly anything. They can be as fancy or plain, mild or wild, thin or thick as you'd like.

They can use fresh fruit in season or frozen fruit. If you have leftovers, you can either freeze them in ice cube trays with toothpicks for quick snacks or in Popsicle molds. One thing is for certain, though. There's bound to be a smoothie to please everyone you feed. Just have some fun with it and keep experimenting.

Here are some to get you started.

Directions for all of these: Place all ingredients into the blender and blend on high until it reaches desired smoothness. Pour into glasses — chilled if you have the time — and serve immediately.

This tastes decadent while being good for you. That's my idea of power food.

Banana Nutmeg Smoothie

• 2 frozen, peeled bananas, broken into pieces
• 1 c. ice
• 1 c. milk (you can use soy milk or rice drink if you prefer)
• 1 c. plain or vanilla yogurt
• ¼ t.- ½ t. fresh grated nutmeg, to taste
• 1 t. vanilla extract, optional

This favorite is a variation on a smoothie my Mom made for us as kids.

Purple Cow Smoothie

• 2 frozen, peeled bananas, broken into pieces
• 2 c. ice
• 1 c. Concord grape juice
• 1 c. plain or vanilla yogurt

What's the fun of something healthy if it tastes that way? Try this in place of a piece of cake for dessert!

Raspberry Chocolate Smoothie

• 3 frozen, peeled bananas, broken into pieces
• 1 c. frozen or fresh raspberries
• ¼ c. mini chocolate chips or dark chocolate pieces
• 1 c. plain or vanilla yogurt
• 1 c. milk (you can use soy milk or rice drink if you prefer)
• 1 t. vanilla extract, optional

This uses a little bit of everything to make a wild, flavorful smoothie.

Kitchen Sink Berry Smoothies

• 2 frozen, peeled bananas, broken into pieces
• ½ c. frozen raspberries
• ½ c. frozen blueberries
• ½ c. frozen strawberries
• 1 c. plain or vanilla yogurt
• 1 c. milk (you can use soy milk or rice drink if you prefer)

Rebecca Lindamood is a northern Lower Michigan native now living in New York state. A food lover and mother of five children, she writes occasionally about preparing creative, yet affordable, meals for a family. E-mail her at shakeyourfoodie@yahoo.com or write to her care of the Record-Eagle.