smoothie recipes for kids with food sensitivities/adhd/sensory processing

[contactmaya]

Hi, 

if my sugar addict son, and his fussy almost non vegetable eating brother have dietary issues, then its about time i got myself a blender and started making consumable smoothies with all the right things in them.

My 4yo and 7yo eat some, but not enough vegetables, plenty of fruit (7yo ds eats less fruit than he used to), not enough protein or fish. I do my best, i think they are good with the fats, but i feel they could be better nourished. I have hesitated feeding them smoothies, because someone told me in the past that they should get used to eating real food.

Yeah ok, but now i am seeing some symptoms of explosiveness and sensory processing in both my kids, and believe a better diet (beyond multivitamins and omega 3's, they get a 1000mg a day) could help them. (thanks to all the interesting information provided on this forum)

Ok, what can i put in a smoothie that they will drink every day? Can anyone here share their secrets? 

What is your smoothie making routine? Do you freeze things? Do you kids readily consume them? Have you noticed an improvement in their health?

(thought of getting a vitamix, but its $500, there must be a good food processor/blender around that is less expensive)

I want them to eat more protein especially-hempseed in the smoothie? Quinoia? Actual meat?

Are those powders from health food stores  appropriate for child consumption?

Anyway, i would be very grateful for any recipes and routines from those with more experience, blender/food processor  brand recommendations  would also be great....

[contactmaya]

....did a search on smoothies and found some great threads with recipes starting with this one:

http://www.mothering.com/community/t/1349948/i-need-smoothie-recipes.

Apologies if this post is in the wrong place but it seemed logical to me to post it herein the light of recent discussions relating nutrition and special needs.

http://www.mothering.com/community/t/1370792/anyone-know-what-this-might-be/20#post_17210628

http://www.mothering.com/community/forum/newestpost/1370196

I dont know as yet if my kids have particular sensitivites,/are not absorbing nutrients/, but i do have friends that have found themselves or their children to have sensitivities to a whole gamut of foods, even when not displaying any symptoms. My ds4 is tall for his age but very skinny,  and refuses alot of food.

As for the concept of adhd, i find that the medical community is divided/undecided on what it really is, and what specificially is the relationship between adhd autism and sensory processing imbalances  (my 7yo ds has been diagnosed with auditory processing imbalances) I wonder if its all just a spectrum, and gluten may play a role in this too (insofar as it does with some autistic children)My kids are not autisitic though, and i dont believe either   have adhd.

 Sensory issues, and food issues are more likely the culprits to some of our problems.

So, im goinf to keep searching for smoothie recipes!!!!

[Dreaming]

I've been making smoothies for my SPD child for a few years now. I do my best to keep dairy and gluten out of them. We have a Vitamix that has proven invaluable. He won't drink anything that has seeds in it and the Vitamix will blend them to specks.
As far as recipes are concerned, I just make things up. Coconut yogurt, rice or hemp milk, all fruits and veggies in various combinations. Avocado or coconut butter or cashews are great for fats. A good trick is to use blueberries if you're adding dark greens as well as some extra sweetener if needed. I've also had success making popsicles out of smoothie he won't drink.

Good luck!

[melissa17s]

We got an emersion blender for Christmas, and my ds was excited to make smoothies with it; it is not as expensive as vitamix.  I got some berries in the freezer section and yogurt... will try tomorrow.