We’re in the part of the year where living in Chicago can be a whole lot of not fun. With the cold weather, the sneezing, sniffling, and short days mixed in with an unhealthy dose of cabin fever, it can seem like winter will go on forever. It also seems like healthy food choices can also take a back seat to heavy comfort foods or easy-to-fix convenience meals. So, here’s a fun, inexpensive and healthy way to chase away the winter blahs without leaving your kitchen: Kefir Smoothies!
My family started drinking kefir (kee-fer) after being introduced to it by a family friend. It’s a lot like yoghurt in fluid form, smooth and rich, naturally sweet but with a slightly tangy flavor. It’s also rich with probiotics, which may aid in digestion, lower cholesterol and boost immunity. Our kids love the blueberry and strawberry flavored kefir, but it’s also available in plain, peach, cherry and even chocolate truffle (to name a few). We had a hard time finding it at first, but now it’s easily obtainable at places like Whole Foods, Costco and Aldi, as well as most health foods stores.
Kefir is flexible enough so that you can tinker and make smoothies to your tastes. To make a kefir smoothie with the kids, all you need is a blender. Just put some kefir in the blender, add some Vitamin C-friendly fruits and fruit juices, some flaxseed and whirrrr! You’ll have a healthy treat that you and the kids will love.
Sueberry Kefir Smoothie Recipe
What You Will Need
- 8 oz of strawberry kefir
- 3 oz of orange juice
- 1 tbsp of flaxseed
- 1 large banana (the riper, the better)
What You Will Need To Do
- Add the ingredients in to the blender
- Pulse the blender a few times to get the banana smooth
- Switch the blender to a high speed, blend for 45 seconds to 1 minute.
Enjoy! You and the kids can have a healthy treat high in vitamins, fiber and probiotics… and it tastes great!
{Image Source: Cook It Allergy Free}
This sounds delicious! Can’t wait to try!
Great! Enjoy Sam!