Best Smoothie Recipe {Berries, Banana, Kale, Collagen}

You are going to love this Best Smoothie Recipe (my kids do!). So easy to make & delightful to drink. So grab some frozen berries, bananas, kale/spinach, collagen, milk of choice & let’s get this smoothie made. 

I’ve made so many different smoothies for my kids but this is the one we come back to time and time again. They absolutely love it! The secret ingredients are those frozen spinach/kale cubes in the background (more on that in a minute) & collagen peptides. Of course the berries are a low glycemic fruit with antioxidants & ripe bananas are full of amylase (an enzyme that helps you digest carbohydrates).

The reason I am such a fan of using ripe banana’s to sweeten this smoothie for my kids is because it’s natural & contains the extra amylase. Until kids have their first molars come through they make salivary amylase but NOT much (if any) pancreatic amylase. So bananas are a great “carbohydrate” when babies start solids and in the first year of life.

Optional extra’s you might want to throw in occasionally include: chia seeds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, or unsweetened shredded coconut.

In regards to seeds, I learned from my functional medicine physician about “seed-cycling” during a women’s (not for kids!) menstrual cycle to support hormone balance. Smoothies are a great way to incorporate seeds into your everyday diet. It works like this: (1)

• During the first half of the menstrual cycle (follicular phase) eat 1 Tbsp of flax seed and 1 Tbsp of pumpkin seeds daily to help balance estrogen & encourage progesterone production for ovulation.
• During the second half of the menstrual cycle (luteal phase) eat 1 Tbsp of sesame seeds and 1 Tbsp of sunflower seeds daily to provide lignans to balance excess estrogen and selenium to support the liver and hormone regulation as the cycle finishes.

Read more: Seed Cycling: Should You Try it for Your Menstrual Cycle?

Every once in a while I borrow this cute little girl to help me with pictures. She’s fairly attentive to the process at hand and is always eager to sample the food 🙂

Smoothies are a car favorite (with spill proof lids and straws that won’t come out) for my kids. I usually make them this Best Smoothie Recipe to drink after nap time and it holds them over until dinner time.

This is the look on her face after drinking some smoothie. Safe to say she likes it … hope you & your family love this Best Smoothie Recipe as well!

Oh — and about those kale/spinach cubes. I’ll put a recipe below but here’s the backstory:

How many times have you purchased a tub of organic spinach or kale to only have it go bad when it isn’t even half gone? And, how many times have you wanted greens in a smoothie but you just can’t (or won’t!) run back to the store? These kale/spinach cubes were my solution to this never ending problem.

Just throw the greens in a large pot and barely (I repeat — barely) steam them. Kale is a cruciferous vegetable which can be hard to digest raw which is why I steam it just a bit.

• Let the steamed spinach/kale cool
• Grab handfuls (or you could use a spoon I suppose) and put it into ice cube trays
• Add a little water on top
• Freeze until solid
• Store in a gallon plastic storage bag in the freezer
• Use within three months

What makes this Best Smoothie Recipe {Berries, Banana, Kale, Collagen} nutrient dense?

• Organic berries: strawberries are the most pesticide filled fruit there is so be sure to buy them organic. I find delicious organic berry mixes at Costco.
• Organic bananas: full of amylase (once ripe) & a great natural sweetener.
• Full fat coconut milk: contains medium chain triglycerides (good fats). Be sure to buy in BPA free cans without added thickeners (e.g. gaur gum) or make it yourself.
• Organic spinach: high in niacin and zinc, as well as protein, fiber, vitamins A, C, E and K, thiamin, vitamin B6, folate, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, and manganese. (2)
• Organic steamed kale: contains 684% of the daily value of vitamin K, 206% of the suggested daily amount of vitamin A, and 134% of vitamin C. (3) Also high in folate.
• Collagen peptides: great for all connective tissue (especially the hair, skin, & nails) including the gastrointestinal tract lining.

Enjoy! – Rashele, BSN, RN, CEN

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Best Smoothie Recipe {Berries, Banana, Kale, Collagen}

You are going to love this Best Smoothie Recipe (my kids do!). So easy to make & delightful to drink. So grab some frozen berries, bananas, kale/spinach, collagen, milk of choice & let's get this smoothie made. 

Course Snack

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 56 kcal

Author Rashele Birmingham

Ingredients

• 2 small ripe bananas fresh or frozen
• 1 cup berries organic
• 2 Tbsp collagen
• 2 cubes kale/spinach see notes
• 1 cup coconut milk full fat
• 500-1,000 mg vitamin C see notes
• 1-3 drops stevia tincture optional

Instructions

1. Place all ingredients in high powered blender.

2. Blend on high until no chunks. Add additional coconut milk or water as needed until consistency is as desired. 

Recipe Notes

1. See additional recipe or blog post for instructions on making kale/spinach cubes for your freezer. If you have fresh greens on hand feel free to use those instead.
2. Vitamin C helps prevent oxidation of the ingredients in the smoothie. Radiant Life Company carries Pure Radiance Vitamin C which is food based. Nutribiotic carries Sodium Ascorbate which is recommended by Dr. Humphries (a physician well known for her vitamin C research) and is the correct form for bioavailability. Our family uses both brands.

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How To Make Frozen Kale or Spinach Cubes

Making frozen kale or spinach cubes is an easy, cost effective way to always have greens on hand for smoothies. 

Course Cooking Basics

Cuisine American

Prep Time 1 minute

Cook Time 3 minutes

Total Time 4 minutes

Servings 48 cubes

Calories 6 kcal

Author Rashele Birmingham

Ingredients

• 16 ounces organic spinach
• 16 ounces organic kale

Instructions

1. Lightly steam kale & spinach (1-2 minutes). Let cool. 

2. Once cooled, stuff into ice cube trays. 

3. Add filtered water to the trays (this helps the cubes stay together). 

4. Freeze until solid (4-6 hours). Pop out of ice cube trays & store in gallon sized plastic bag for up to three months. 

Tools used to make this recipe (click photo or link to shop):

1. Vitamix Blender: this high powered blender is built to last & a great investment for families striving to give their kids real food every day.

Don’t forget to pin this Best Smoothie Recipe {Berries, Banana, Kale, Collagen} to your favorite Pinterest board for later!

References:

(1) Natural Fertility Info. Seed Cycling: Should You Try It for Your Menstrual Cycle? [online] Available at: http://natural-fertility-info.com/seed-cycling-for-menstrual-cycle.html [Accessed on 31 Dec. 2017].

(2) Food Facts. (2017) What is Spinach Good For? [online] Available at: http://foodfacts.mercola.com/spinach.html [Accessed on 31 Dec. 2017].

(3) Food Facts. (2017) What is Kale Good For? [online] Available at: http://foodfacts.mercola.com/kale.html [Accessed on 31 Dec. 2017].