I’ve heard it said that babies will usually want to eat what the parents are eating. It made a lot of sense, but I got a glimpse the first time Liv made a grab for my salmon salad. Like the swiftest salad ninja, one second I was taking a bite, and the next, my plate was rapidly sliding towards us. I didn’t give her any, as she was only a few months old at the time, but she watched intently as each bite went onto my fork and into my mouth. From then on, I felt rude eating with her sitting on my lap, since I couldn’t share the goods.
A similar event occurred recently when I was drinking a carrot karma Jamba Juice. She kept grabbing at my straw and fussing. Finally, I plugged the end of the straw and gave her a small taste. She looked up at me wide-eyed. Why had I been holding out?!
I hadn’t thought about making her a baby-friendly smoothie until that point, as the smoothies I drink at home aren’t anything I would give her. Almond milk, protein powder, cocoa powder, Stevia- all things she won’t have until she’s older.
Baby, I made this one just for you:
My friend Jeni told me that would make her son smoothies using water instead of milk when he was already enjoying fruits and veggies. I decided to give it a whirl, using fruits that I knew Liv was used to and already loved.
Sweet Peach Smoothie:
-1/2 banana
-1 C frozen mango
-1 peach, peeled and diced
-1 C filtered water
Age at the time: 7 1/2 months
I even poured a glass for myself to drink…
But here’s the pic of the ultimate taste-tester:
My husband said she couldn’t slurp it down fast enough- she went crazy for it! I also took some to work for a friend who has a baby Livi’s age, and apparently he cried when he was done drinking it.. he wanted more! Who knew that something so simple could be so delicious and exciting?
Baby smoothies are especially fantastic because they can be frozen in popsicle molds,
stirred into oatmeal or morning hot cereal,
as a cool snack for teething babies,
and great little nutrient boost.
***Every time I make Liv a new smoothie, I’ll post the recipe on this page to share. I’ll be sure to include her age with the recipe, but as always, use your pediatrician’s advice before introducing any new fruits or veggies to your baby <3
Bottoms up, beeb <3
Hi, I'm Gina. Welcome to The Fitnessista! I love blogging about my adventures as a new mom, military wife and fitness instructor, as well as sharing new workouts and recipes. Check out the About page for more info - thanks for stopping by!
My 1 year old is a little picky with the veggies these days, but I LOVE throwing a handful of spinach in with her smoothies
Her fave is frozen banana, soy milk, avocado, and spinach. Go figure!
Same with my 20 month old… he LOVES “mooties!”
This was so adorable! I love how the internet has so many great ideas and recipes for people of all ages. When I have kids I want to get them started on fruits and veggies early, so that it will hopefully be habits that stick with them for the rest of their life!
Oh my gosh, why haven’t I thought of this! My little guy (14.5 months) would love these! Thanks for sharing the idea!
Aw! I love the concept!!
I have always made the twins smoothies, they love cold drinks. I throw some yobaby in there too since my kids ate skinny minnies and need the fat
I love that you’re able to make your smoothie (the mango chili one) and Liv’s and tweak the flavors for your individual palettes. Bet she was in heaven with this one
What a great idea, baby smoothies!
That’s so cute!
Babies like smoothies. Filing that away for when I’ve got my own wee ones.
Love it! My Daughter loves smoothies too!
Rofl @ “Be freezed”- be frozen? Looks like a great baby recipe! Just a cold fruit blend, really… and lots of babies love pureed fruit…
haha oops.
Too cute!!!!
Looks yummy – think I will try making Max a smoothie!
what a great idea!! I am excited to do this with Elliana when she is old enough!
Such a simple idea…love it! Basically pureed fruit (baby food) but the frozen mango makes it cold!
Ah, thank you for this recipe! I am hoping that my son will actually be into eating actual food by the time he is that age. He turned 6 months a week ago and so far is NOT into solid food. We will see how the smoothie is for him!
It’s so cute that she loved it! There are tons of variations, too.
The first time my daugther drank from a straw was actually when we were having smoothies. I walked out of the room and my husband said she had been drinking out of a straw. I believe she was 7 or 8 months. I didn’t believe him until I saw it because it was a really thick smoothie! She actually drank out of a straw sippy for months instead of a typical one.
One more quick comment! Gina~ I’m not sure if you’ve begun introducing solid foods yet or not, but I sometimes saute up baby spinach for my daughter (chopping it a bit before cooking helps) and she adores it. I season with a little garlic and olive oil. It was one of the first foods I gave her that she loved. I just put the little pieces on her tray and it was so small that it was easy for her to eat. Also, I’m not sure how you feel about the soy, but she also goes crazy over tofu. I cut it into small cubes and saute for just a minute or two.
Have you seen these: http://thesilico.com/ I got one for my son when he’s ready to eat food. They seem like they’d be perfect for feeding smoothies (and they have some awesome sounding smoothie recipes on their site…the gingerbread one sounds amazing!).
Thanks for the recipe – my 5 month old loves them, a watermelon apple smoothie was the first “solid” food he ever ate….glad I’m not the only one who feels guilty eating in front of our baby by the way!!
I’ve got awhile until I can try one of these out on my son, but I can’t wait! Already pinned
Thanks for sharing!
LOL over your friend’s baby who cried when it was all gone!
Haha, awww that’s such a cute picture of Liv with the smoothie around her mouth – adorable!
The smoothie looks delic. Love the new setup!
I do tons of smoothies for my 14-month-old. He’s gotten pickier about fruit, and it’s a great way to make it fun. I’ll throw in sweet potato or pumpkin as well for a bit of vegetable. He’s even done the green monster!
As she gets older and it becomes trickier to make meals balanced, smoothies are also a great way to get more veggies in – toss some kale and spinach in there and you’ve got a baby version of a salad! Avocado and plain yogurt make smoothies like a full balanced meal. Yum.
I just found your site via a Pinterest pin….curious if you posted any other smoothie recipies/ideas for babies? I have twins that I think would LOVE LOVE LOVE trying this out, and I’d love more ideas for combos!