Written by WonderCow co-founder Erica Diepersloot We have told our girls that Christmastime is officially over, a claim made visible by the Christmas decorations that we’ve taken down. (Minus the tree - it is actually still standing, but it looks quite sad without the ornaments and lights). As we are coming off of a wonderful holiday season, we are extra thankful that our kids have been healthy.
In fact, we have noticed that they don’t catch the same ‘common colds’ that many of our friends and family talk about. On the contrary, we didn’t have to miss any festive get-togethers that many others did!Our kids didn’t have the coughs & runny noses that seem to be expected in this season.
How does colostrum keep kids healthy?
Of course, there are many factors that go into this: Their exposure to other kids at school, their genetics, what they eat, whether they actually wash their hands, etc., but we think one of the key contributors to our kids not catching the common cold is their daily green smoothie. It is pretty simple, and we switch it up with whatever fruit is in season or whatever we have in the fridge - and we want to pass it along to you. It seems dramatic to call it a “recipe”, because everything is just eyeballed instead of actually measured, but hopefully this gives a guideline as to what has been working in our kitchen. And we hope it works for yours!
Our family's colostrum smoothie recipe
It seems dramatic to call it a “recipe”, because everything is just eyeballed instead of actually measured 💁🏼♀️
- Fresh spinach (we throw in 2-3 big handfuls, but you might want to start with less if you/your kids aren’t used to eating/drinking green)
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1 cup fresh orange juice (or whatever juice you have in the fridge - we prefer no added sugar)
- Blend the spinach and juice together for about 30 seconds to make sure all the spinach leaves are blended well (most kids - and maybe adults too - wouldn’t love to munch on green leaves climbing up their straw).
- Then add the rest of the ingredients and blend:
- 2 bananas (we use fresh bananas until we run out, then the ones we have stashed in the freezer work well too)
- A handful of blueberries/raspberries/strawberries (or whatever fruit your kids like)
- 2 scoops WonderCow Colostrum Powder
- ½ cup ice
- I sometimes add plain Greek yogurt for the extra protein if this is going to be their breakfast, but our family usually drinks this in addition to our morning eggs & toast!
Tips for your best smoothie even the little ones will love
This is the size that we make for each of our three girls to have about a (1) cup serving. And maybe this goes without saying, but I’ve had a few too many green spills to not at least mention it - a cup with a lid is much appreciated with little kids :) We use these ones from Amazon, but have found that it’s easier to use disposable straws instead of getting frustrated trying to clean the tiny bits of berry seeds stuck inside.
More kid-friendly healthy snack ideas
Another plus is that we use any leftover smoothie to make popsicles. There are all sorts of popsicle molds online, but here are the ones that we use from Amazon because they’re small enough for our 1-year-old.Now you and your kids can enjoy a green popsicle tomorrow without your blender getting dirty!
The wonder of greens
Spinach is a staple item in our household - I purchase it in bulk even just for our little family. In fact, the grocery store clerk commented on the large quantities I was buying last month and asked if we were having a party… No, this is just the amount of groceries that my husband and I, along with our three young daughters, consume in an average week, but I’m intrigued that this much spinach looks like a party to him, and I’ll be sure to blog about what a spinach party entails if I ever end up getting invited to one.
Anyway, I’m not trying to sell you any spinach, don’t worry, but I do want to note that this leafy green does a lot of work in our bodies. A few key nutrients found in spinach along with their health benefits are highlighted below.
Why is spinach so good for us?
- Flavonoids: a phytonutrient with anti-cancer properties
- Iron: helps supply oxygen to the red blood cells and prevents anemia
- Magnesium: helps our bodies heal skin wounds and infections quickly
- Vitamin K: helps maintain bone health
- Lutein: good for eyes/vision