Juli Novotny --- Pure Mamas blogger--Smoothies and Popsicles.

Nutrition can be a very sticky subject when it comes to children and babies. They are some of the pickiest of eaters yet the most active {constantly learning new things, playing, running, swimming, jumping, falling, etc.}, and frustrated. Therefore proper nutrition is crucial for them.

Multiply the above by 10 and you have handicapped or ill child. These children are even more in need of nutrition and also that much pickier and more difficult to get to eat healthy food.

A really great way to pack in nutrition is with a blender and/or a popsicle stick. Fresh homemade smoothies are great because you can customize what goes into them. For instance you can add all kinds of local and organic fruits from the farmer's markets. You can make them really cold, really thick or not at all. You can also add very important supplements like Omega 3 oils, probiotics, even green powders and protein powders in small amounts so that the children won't even know it's in there.

If you child likes milk, add it. If your child is allergic or doesn't drink milk {mine don't} then add almond milk, lemonade or fresh squeezed orange juice and water as a base. You can also then add sweeteners or not, depending on your child's taste buds.

There are so many different kinds of things you can do with a blender that will amaze you AND your children. If you find a drink you and your child enjoys, then freeze it in a popsicle mold and eat it later while sitting in the sun.

I'm not going to go into which supplements are good for children with tumors or any other specific illness or disease because I'm not a doctor. But once you get the go-ahead for probiotics or algae or whatnot, ADD SOME DROPS OR TEASPOONS IT TO A SMOOTHIE.

MANGO PROTEIN RECIPE

- 2 cups Almond Milk

- 1 cup Frozen Mangos or any other fruit you enjoy.

- 1 Ripe Banana

- 1/2 c Green Juice {or greens powder}

- 1 Tbls Agave Nectar {optional}

- Rice Protein Powder {1/2 scoop}

- ADD PROBIOTICS OR FLAX OIL IF YOU'D LIKE

Mix in a blend until smooth. It should be REALLY creamy

tip: leave out the agave if you are giving it to little kids.

CANTALOUPE / WATERMELON FROZEN JUICE RECIPE

1 Cantaloupe {or watermelon}, ripe organic & in season

7 Ice cubes

1 Tbls agave nectar {optional}

Cut open the cantaloupe, remove the seeds and scoop out the fruit. Blend it on high for like 20 seconds. Then I put remained of ingredients in a blender and blended until it was smooth {with only a few ice chunks left}!

MY SON got mad at me and threw a tantrum when I told him to try it!!!! I said "just try it once and you'll be done" he tried it and then gulped the rest of it down. It was THAT good.

GREEN DRINK RECIPE

1 large slice (about 5 chunks) frozen pineapple
1/3c parsley or spinach
1/4 cucumber, peeled
1 juice of a lemon

1 sliver/chunk ginger root
1c fresh orange juice
1/2 dropper of liquid stevia OR 2 Tbls agave nectar

* any supplements you may need to add like say a protein powder?

BLEND TOGETHER IN BLENDER ON HIGH UNTIL REALLY SMOOTH WITHOUT CHUNKS.

If you can get your child to drink a small bit of this everyday you won't have to worry too much about "veggies" and eating their "green" foods. But of course it's always good to encourage eating vegetables and to get them used to eating "real" green foods.

POPSICLE RECIPE

2 large lemons
1/4 cucumber, peeled
3 Tbls agave nectar

1/4c water

BLEND TOGETHER IN BLENDER ON HIGH UNTIL REALLY SMOOTH WITHOUT ANY CHUNKS. Then add to popsicle mold and freeze. You can also do this with homemade fresh squeezed orange juice as well.

Have fun and remember to use fruits, vegetables and sweetners and liquids that your children already like to ensure they will drink it. You can easily add any greens like spinach or parsley or cilantro to a drink and mask it with the other dominate fruits or sweeteners or liquids.

Also remember to try new types of fruits. You never know, kids often don't like things the first time but then LOVE things the second or even third time around.

Good Luck!

Please check out Juli's blog at www.puremamas.com and her company at www.kookiekarma.com