Beat the After-School Burnout With These 5 Super Smoothies!

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If your children are anything like mine, they often come home from school feeling cranky, weary, and hungry. One of the best options I’ve found for curbing their pre-dinner hangry moods is through nutritious homemade super smoothies. Easy to customize and great for making in big batches, smoothies come to the rescue in my family on a near-daily basis. 

These are all considered winners by my often-picky bunch and are great options to accompany breakfast or for a stand-alone after-school pick-me-up. I make large batches of super smoothies at a time and store extras in a large mason jar or two to have on hand for quick and easy pours to last a few days.

My favorite super smoothie enhancements.

Below are our family’s favorite smoothie recipes. While I’d love to provide an exact recipe, my husband can attest that I tend to just wing it in the kitchen and play with different amounts. So, rough estimations of ingredients are listed. Play with each one as they are completely adaptable depending on you and your children’s taste preferences. Add all ingredients to your blender and then blend together until silky smooth, and enjoy! 

Beet Smoothie

My girls call this one the “pink” smoothie. Beets are chock-full of health benefits, but children are often wary of eating them. Beet powder is an excellent way to get the folate, potassium, iron, and anti-inflammation benefits of this superfood without a struggle. (Pro-tip: It’s also excellent added into baked goods.)

  • 4 TB of organic beet powder 
  • 1 cup plain Greek yogurt 
  • 2 cups of milk or milk alternative drink 
  • a few handfuls of frozen blueberries and/or 1-2 frozen bananas 
  • a drizzle of honey (optional) 
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Chocolate Smoothie

What’s better than a milkshake? A completely decadent smoothie packed with vitamins and minerals! This is the most requested smoothie in our house. 

Tropical Sunshine Smoothie

This smoothie is particularly lovely in the drab winter months when you need a Vitamin-C packed pick-me-up. Get the benefits of coconut water’s electrolytes paired with the bright flavors of tropical fruits in this refreshing smoothie your kids are sure to love. 

  • 24 oz coconut water (or more depending on how thick you like your drinks)
  • 8 oz pineapple 
  • 8 oz mango 
  • splash of orange juice 
A few simple ingredients make for a bright and tasty tropical treat!

Green Smoothie

The original powerhouse drink, a green super smoothie is simply fruits and veggies. To make ours, I use roughly:

  • Half a bunch of kale with stems removed 
  • 3 large carrots, chopped 
  • 8 oz frozen pineapple or mango (about half a bag of Trader Joe’s frozen pineapple tidbits)
  • 2 bananas 
  • 2 cups of orange juice (Pomegranate juice also works beautifully here! Make sure you use 100% juice and not a fruit drink with added sugar)
Green smoothies are a staple in our household.

Nutty Overnight Oatmeal Smoothie 

This is not only a filling snack, but it can also double as a hearty breakfast drink! The key to this super smoothie is letting the oats soak overnight (or at least 6 hours before use) in the liquid, and then blending it up in the morning. I like to add hemp seeds (a great source of protein, iron, magnesium, and zinc!) as they enhance the drink with a nutty flavor. Chia seeds or flax seeds also work well here to ramp up the nutritional value. Another optional add-in is a tablespoon or two of cocoa powder to make it chocolatey. Play with the measurements depending on how thick you like your drink to be! 

  • 1 TB nut butter of choice
  • 1/2 cup organic rolled oats 
  • 2 cups milk (I prefer almond milk for this smoothie) 
  • a few TB of hulled hemp seeds
  • 2 pitted dates (for sweetness)
This makes for a delicious and filling drink for breakfast or after school!

Does your family have any favorite super smoothies? What are some of your go-to nutritious and easy snacks for your kiddos? Share your favorites in the comments below!