Skip the Smoothies
I am a proud member of the pro-mastication movement. Ok yeah, that’s not a thing. But if it were, I would be the president. I am resoundingly pro-chewing. And by that I mean I am anti-smoothie. Anti-green juice. You get the idea. I’m not sure when folks decided that blenders and juicers were life-sustaining devices, providing the only possible route to a full daily serving of fruits and vegetables. I’m guessing it has something to do with infomercials and those interactive displays at CostCo?
Regardless, we have teeth for a reason and we are completely capable of chewing the amount of nourishment we need each day. What’s more, our digestive and endocrine systems are not prepared for the onslaught of nutrients in a liquid bolus of food.
When we eat solid foods they arrive in the stomach still somewhat solid. They must go through a time-consuming process of mechanical and chemical digestion before they can be moved to the small intestine and absorbed into the bloodstream. When we allow a blender or juicer to perform these steps for us, we are causing an acceleration in digestion. And since smoothies and green juices almost always contain a ton of fruit, this means that blood sugar will spike very quickly. Which leads me to my next complaint…
These concoctions are SO sweet! Everyone loves to brag about how much spinach / turmeric / beets / etc. they cram into these things, but how much fruit or added sugar does it take to make them taste halfway decent? In the constant uphill battle of getting kids to like savory, bitter and sour foods instead of just sweet stuff, these “health” drinks are a sure step in the wrong direction. They also promote poor eating patterns, forgoing a sit-down meal for a meal-replacement beverage, or perhaps serving them as a snack that displaces appetite at a more nutritious meal one or two hours later.
As for the argument that kids won’t eat green veggies without them, poppycock. First of all, blenders were invented in 1922 (for making milkshakes, if that tells you anything!). Juicers didn’t come about until 1936. Yet, miraculously, humans survived just fine before that! The key is not hiding vegetables in food, but serving them every single day, multiple times a day, in appealing and flavorful ways. No, most kids won’t eat them every time. But they will likely eat them enough, especially if you follow the guidelines discussed here and in my book, Healthy Little Foodie. Limit snacks and milk, stick to a consistent meal schedule and eat together as a family. And please, chew your food.