The school topic of health is one that seems to take place naturally as we go about our daily routines. We discuss the importance of covering your mouth when sneezing (disease prevention), establishing a bedtime routine and getting the rest needed, playing outdoors and participating in community sports programs. But, it’s hard sometimes to get your children to eat “healthy” foods. There isn’t much appeal for children in eating a spinach salad or nibbling on broccoli and cauliflower. If you have a child who enjoys that, it is a blessing.

I was an awful eater beginning in childhood and continuing through early adulthood. One of my favorite things to eat as a child was a Wonder Bread potato chip sandwich. I’d put the potato chips in between the slices of white bread, pressing and squishing until it was paper-thin. Wow, enough said!  When we first married, my husband and I ate a pepperoni double topper nearly every Thursday evening!

Realizing  we couldn’t continue to eat that way by putting all those bad things into the bodies, I had to change our diet. I introduced whole grain bread, plus more green vegetables into our diet.  But, I have continued to search better foods for us to eat and be more purposeful in dietary selections. Searching has led me to discover superfoods nearly two years ago.

What are superfoods? Well, they are not foods that Clark Kent and Peter Parker noshed on before dashing off to fight villains, but they would have helped them! Superfoods are nuts, berries, and foods that are packed with vitamins, antioxidants, and nutrition to help your body fight off disease (like a super hero), and give you energy. They also help you to feel full longer and thus, helping you eat less.

I know it can be expensive to eat this way, but it is expensive to go to the doctor.  It also takes time out of your life to be sick. Who wants that? I had to go to the doctor recently for a sports injury and the nurse said,”You  haven’t been to see us in a long time.”  I call that a good thing!

A fairly inexpensive way to begin to make changes and improvements to your family’s diet without it costing a hunk of your grocery budget is to add a smoothie to your menu. Instead of providing a sugar-laden snack, how about a fruity one? You can add some a superfood such as chia or hemp seeds and the family won’t even notice!

Personally, I use smoothies as a snack or a substitute for a meal. I visited a friend the other day during her lunch break and instead of us grabbing a burger and fries, I took her this smoothie. She thought it was so delicious that she asked for the recipe. I think this would be a good introduction if you are wanting to give smoothies a try. The smoothie looks seedy, but it isn’t. Those are the skins of the blueberries, but you can blend it longer to make them disappear. I just thought it added something visually for the photo. Enjoy!

Berries and Citrus Smoothie

1 cup frozen blueberries

1 cup frozen strawberries

1/2 cup frozen pineapple (substitute fresh if available)

1 cup orange juice

1 cup mango or peach kefir (you can use vanilla yogurt instead)

2 tablespoons hemp or chia seeds* (superfood)

2 teaspoons honey (optional)

Place all of the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Makes 2 servings.

* Hemp seeds are one of the best sources for protein and include all eight amino acids, omega-3 and can help balance hormones.  Chia seeds are best known for their healthy fats, higher fiber content, and antioxidants. They have eight times more omega 3’s than salmon (Yippee! I detest most fish.), five times more calcium than milk, three times more iron than spinach, and three times more antioxidants than blueberries.  source: Superfood Smoothies, Julie Morris

I am sorry I don’t know the exact number of calories for the smoothie, but I would estimate the number to be 225.