Veggie-Fruit Smoothie

Although my son has been getting better at eating his veggies, sometimes I like to mix them in other things that I know he will eat (or drink, in this case). Of course, he loved this smoothie just as much as the other one, and my husband and I enjoyed it too! I have been on a smoothie kick because it is so hot here in AZ already! I get up in the morning and I am craving something cool to drink. Plus, this is such an easy recipe for a snack any time of day!  I saw a recipe for carrot-ginger smoothies in a magazine that I was reading, and it gave me inspiration for this recipe... although my recipe is quite different. I didn't have carrot juice or ginger root, but I had leftover frozen carrot and sweet potato purees, so I thought I'd use them up. Both carrots and sweet potatoes (the red kind) are naturally sweet and are loaded with Vitamin A and Beta Carotene. My son loves them as a finger food too. If you like, you can use all carrot, or all sweet potato and it would probably taste fine. I was just using up my frozen cubes. You can also use any kind of fruit you like. I had some strawberries and bananas on hand (Vitamin C and Potassium). I used whole milk yogurt and whole milk since this was for my son, but you can certainly use skim or reduced fat, or even soy if you are making this for yourself. :) I added some wheat germ for a protein boost. These were a little thick, so if you like your smoothies thinner, you can use more milk. Also, if you want yours to be more of a "slushy" texture, you can add some ice, or use frozen fruits or veggies. 

Ingredients:

2 tbsp carrot puree

2 tbsp sweet potato puree

1/2 cup strawberries, chopped

1/2 cup banana (about 1 medium), sliced

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup vanilla yogurt

2 tbsp wheat germ

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Or if you have an immersion blender, put all ingredients in cylinder container, then blend with immersion blender until smooth. Makes about 2-1/2 cups. Serve and enjoy! 

Veggie-Fruit Smoothie