Kid Favorite Smoothie with Cauliflower

This smoothie with cauliflower is really good; like my six-year-old daughter who is in an "anti-smoothie phase" asked me to make it over the weekend! I can't even pinpoint the flavor, it's reminiscent of gingerbread and simply delicious-ness.

It's made with a full serving of cauliflower rice (a cruciferous powerhouse), frozen banana, plus tahini. For some that last ingredient is a hard taste to adjust to; allow me introduce you 🙂

What is Tahini?

Tahini is simply ground, hulled sesame seeds. It's creamy, buttery, nutty, and a little sweet. It's also a bit astringent, likely because of the tannins. Tahini is a great alternative to peanut or almond butter — because it helps diversify your plant intake.

Sesame seeds are a nutritional powerhouse, that include:

• Macronutrients: fiber & protein
• Micronutrients: B vitamins, magnesium, selenium & zinc
• Several phytonutrients, like the benefits of sesamin, including the potential to raise the vitamin E levels in our bodies

Is Raw Cauliflower Good in Smoothies?

Yes! I love using frozen cauliflower in smoothies because it makes them cool and thick.

I use frozen rice cauliflower, which is typically raw or par-boiled. Frozen veggies are often cheaper and easier to prepare. Plus, if they're not in-season they're more nutritionally dense than their fresh counterpart.

Why do people put Cauliflower in Smoothies?

Simple, plant diversity! The best way to cultivate a healthy microbiome is plant variety, which is why I love smoothies so much (loads of plant variety)!

We often use ingredients like berries, bananas and spinach in smoothies — but cauliflower is a fun, new option.

Cauliflower in smoothies provides a cold, creamy texture with a fairly neutral flavor. Which means you can experiment, and add cauliflower to your favorite smoothie.

How to Include your Kids

Kids LOVE to help in the kitchen!

• Teach them to freeze any leftover, or overly brown bananas to avoid the trash.
• Simply, peel your bananas, break them into two or three pieces and drop in a freezer bag. This is a great way to save produce ($$$) that is going bad and teaches your kiddos to eliminate waste.

A note on functional ingredients

Smoothies are a great vehicle for functional ingredients like adaptogens. Adaptogens are just as the name suggests, they help us adapt to, and manage chronic stress. Ashwagandha is a common type of adaptogen.

Chronic stress is a real issue and is correlated with many of the leading causes of disease including cancer, coronary heart disease, accidental injuries, respiratory disorders, cirrhosis of the liver and suicide.

Note that I do not recommend including adaptogens when serving kids.

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