I think I’ve mentioned that I have one son who firmly refuses to eat fruits and vegetables, with the exception of kale chips because the texture is similar to that of potato chips. Anyway, one of my goals this year is to try to get more vegetables into the boys. My overarching goal is to get them to expand the very limited repertoire of things that they’re willing to eat, but I’d like to focus on fruits and vegetables specifically.

I read recently that if you are asking your kids to try something new each day, it’s best to get it over with early in the day if possible. By the time dinner rolls around, everyone’s tired and less likely to be amenable to trying something new. Earlier this week, I let the boys off the hook and told them that they didn’t have to try something new at dinner if they tried this smoothie for breakfast. They all tried it willingly and three out of four actually liked it. The fourth didn’t like it because of its texture He felt the tiny seeds from either the strawberries or the blueberries, and they turned him off. At least he tried it. I actually got him to try some yesterday as well. He still didn’t like it, but he tried it again. I guess that’s a bit of progress.

The thing I like about smoothies is that you can experiment with them and throw in any kind of fruit that you have hanging around. I thought this particular combination was very tasty!

Pomegranate Berry Smoothie

1 cup of pomegranate juice
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup frozen strawberries
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup of ice cubes
honey to taste

Put all of the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.

Yield: 2 servings

One year ago: Smoked Tuna Dip
Two years ago: Classic Dinner Rolls
Three years ago: Malted Milk Ball Cookies