I wrote this post before I left for a trip to Australia, so just wanted to add a quick hi from down under! We made it through 18 hours of flying with two little ones and have recovered from the 17 hr time difference in jet lag. Surprisingly easily on both counts! We’re exploring Melbourne and soaking up family time with my husband’s parents and sister (and her brand-new baby girl). Keep in touch on Instagram, I’ve been sharing lots in my Insta story. xo    

I have been giving my blender a major workout this year. My kids (3-and-a-half and 18 months) embrace a variety of foods and flavours, but textures still give them trouble. Especially stringy textures, like with greens and asparagus and hard, crumbly textures like raw carrot or beet. I find smoothies are the easiest way to work in more vegetables.

I partnered with Florida Citrus to bring you this recipe. Here, I paired yummy, naturally-sweet Florida Orange Juice with chopped raw beets and a couple of handfuls of frozen cherries. I like using orange juice in veggie smoothies because it adds a bit of natural sweetness and gives a cleaner, fresher taste than if you use milk.

Buying Florida Orange Juice that says 100% juice means no sugar or anything else added, and OJ has the added benefit of offering a good wallop of vitamin C (plus folate, and potassium).

I include a whole beet in my smoothie (most recipes only use a chunk), because I like it to taste something closer to veggie juice. And I want to be really clear that I don’t hide veggies in smoothies (or in anything for that matter) – the kids help me pick what they want, and help me to load the blender. (Sneakiness is not a good way to teach kids good lifelong eating habits.)

I typically make this smoothie (or a variation) in the late-afternoon, so my kids have something to tide them over until dinner, and I have something to give me a burst of energy that’ll be quickly digested before a run. I also sometimes make it part of my immunity regime in the colder months, along with probiotics and vitamin D.

Note: If you don’t have a particularly motivated blender, you might prefer your beet smoothies with cooked beets. To steam peeled, chopped beets quickly in the microwave, place them in a microwave-safe dish with 1″ of water and cook on high power for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally,  until tender.

Follow Florida Orange Juice on Facebook for lots more recipes!

 

Cherry-Berry Beet Smoothie

Prep Time 5 minutes
Servings 2
Drinks
American

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup Florida Orange Juice look for 100% juice
  • 1 medium beet peeled and chopped
  • 1 ½ cups total of frozen cherries and/or berries raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries all work well

Instructions
 

  • Add ingredients to blender in the order listed (liquid first helps get things moving!). Blend on high speed for a full minute.

Last Updated on April 24, 2017 by Jennifer Pallian BSc, RD

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Linda
Linda
10 months ago

5 stars
So delicious!!

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