Cooking with Kids: Chocolate Smoothies

I recently was a workshop presenter for Wellness Day at a local grade school. The topic was "Nutritious After School Snacks." With the help of eager fifth grade students, this is one of two recipes we made in a 25 minute span of time.

5th-graders take a healthy snack break—sampling Chocolate Smoothies

To read about the Wellness Day event, including student comments and  

reactions, go to the Abilene App blog: Garfield Wellness Day - "Kids Cooking" Healthy Snacks

Chocolate Smoothie    2 servings

Prep: 10 min. or less

Tools/Equipment: Blender or NutriBullet, set of dry measuring spoons & cups, measuring cup for liquids

Ingredients

   3 to 4 tablespoons quick-cook or old-fashioned oats (not cooked)

   2 cups+ milk (almond or soy milk can also be used)

   About ¼ to ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

   1 teaspoon cocoa powder (unsweetened)

   About ¼ cup sweetened yogurt

   1 banana

   A heaping handful of ice

   Honey, agave syrup or sugar to taste

Step-by-Step Preparation

1. Add the oats to the bottom of a blender or NutriBullet. Pour in enough milk to cover and let oats soak as you assemble the rest of the smoothie. (If you don’t have a blender that will grind and pulverize, you may need to let the oats soak a little longer.)

   

   This 5th-grader is adding milk to the oat mixture.

2. Add the remaining ingredients, except the sweetner, and then add the remaining milk (add to the Max line on the NutriBullet).

   

   A 5th grader adds smoothie ingredients to the blender.

3. Taste and add honey, agave or sugar if needed. Note – as bananas age (and develop black spots) they become sweeter . . . so less sweetener is needed with older bananas.

   

   Mixing up another batch of smoothies for sampling.

In addition to Chocolate Smoothies, we also made Fast & Easy English Muffin Pizzas.

Recipe without photos . . .

Chocolate Smoothie    2 servings

Prep: 10 min. or less

Tools/Equipment: Blender or NutriBullet, set of dry measuring spoons & cups, measuring cup for liquids

Ingredients

   3 to 4 tablespoons quick-cook or old-fashioned oats (not cooked)

   2 cups+ milk (almond or soy milk can also be used)

   About ¼ to ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

   1 teaspoon cocoa powder (unsweetened)

   About ¼ cup sweetened yogurt

   1 banana

   A heaping handful of ice 

   Honey, agave syrup or sugar to taste

Step-by-Step Preparation

1. Add the oats to the bottom of a blender or NutriBullet. Pour in enough milk to cover and let oats soak as you assemble the rest of the smoothie. (If you don’t have a blender that will grind and pulverize, you may need to let the oats soak a little longer.)
2. Add the remaining ingredients, except the sweetner, and then add the remaining milk (add to the Max line on the NutriBullet).
3. Taste and add honey, agave or sugar if needed. Note – as bananas age (and develop black spots) they become sweeter . . . so less sweetener is needed with older bananas.