Talk to me about smoothies

Nate has been having horrible constipation lately (to the point of crying ) and I think we've narrowed it down to the fact that we just about cut out yogurt from his diet. I used to cram yogurt down my boys' throats 3 times a day, but since they won't let us feed them any more we've stopped since it's just too messy/inefficient to let them feed themselves yogurt at this stage. We're letting him "practice" with a spoon and a bowl of yogurt, but he's at the "constant stirring" phase of spoon-use and not much gets in his mouth.

So I thought I might whip up some yogurt smoothies and offer them as a snack once a day. I can find some good recipes online (and sneak a few veggies in :good: ), but I'm not sure how they can drink them. Do any of you lovely ladies give your LOs smoothies, and if so, do you put them in a sippy? Are smoothies thin enough to fit through the valve? Or do you use a straw cup, or (gasp!) an open cup?

Looking for suggestions...TIA!

 

just curious... who won't let you feed them anymore? lol, i still feed mine yogurt simply for the mess issue.

 

Well, I load up a spoon with yogurt and approach their mouths with it, and am soundly rejected with flailing arms and shaking heads! :catfight: If I give them a spoon and a bowl of yogurt I get endless stirring (Nate) or yogurt-flinging (Jack). :laughing:

I figure I can let them go to town with smoothies and avoid getting yogurt on my ceilings. ardon:

 

I use the take and toss straw sippies for smoothies. However I learned something new a couple weeks ago. Jake's speech therapist was here and I always feed them after she leaves, well I told her it was yogurt day and rolled my eyes because it's still such a messy process... She told me to use the straws from the take and toss sippies and puncture a hole in the top of the foil on the yogurt and let them drink it. Sure enough they LOVED it!! She said it's really good for them to learn to suck that hard and they enjoy being able to do in on their own. So I do it with yogurt and also with applesauce. My dd does take the straw out and she gets two chances then I take it away. My ds on the other hand never takes the straw out and LOVES drinking it.
Good luck!

 

I give mine smoothies. I love it because you can put pretty much anything you want in there and they will drink it. It tastes like berry! I use yogurt, fresh/frozen fruit, and milk in all of them. Just make them runny enough to put in their sippies. Other things I often add are probiotic powder, GSE if they're sick, oatmeal powder, spinach, fruit juice, etc. Smoothies are very versatile, easy to make, and a wonderful snack when you don't have very much time and need them to get a lot of nutrients! I've also made them with coconut milk and that is delicious as well.

 

I did/do smoothies. My kids love them. I use yogurt, frozen fruit, juice or water, protein powder, and a probiotic. You can put just about anything in a smoothie. They will go fine through a straw sippy.

 

What is GSE?? Where do you get probiotic powder?

One nutrionist told us just to thin the yogurt with whole milk. I was thinking about adding some of the baby food puree that is a combo fruit/veggie as well.

 

great ideas!! as for yogurt... yep, I'm sure that's what's making him constipated... anyway, if you ever do oatmeal in the mornings you could add yogurt to that. its messy for sure as mine end up eating it with their hands! but for the most part they eat it all. I need to start doing smoothies again, they are yummy for me too!

 

We had the same issue with yogurt on a spoon with DS1 and we are quickly approaching it with the twins. I make a simple yogurt/milk smoothie and they are able to drink it easily out of a sippy or straw cup. I dump one container of yo' baby in a sippy and then fill the rest of the way with whole milk. I stir until smooth, put on a top and we are good to go. This is basically the same as the yogurt drinks they have in the store, but much cheaper when there are 3 boys drinking them every day!

 

Wow, this sounds super easy!! I'm gonna try it this week and see how they go over. I don't want to kill myself making them from scratch just to have them soundly rejected. Thanks!!

 

I LOVE this thread! I had been thinking about smoothies as well because I have one DD who will NOT eat fruit. She will eat it pureed, but give her chunks of fruit and it goes straight on the floor. I have the munchkin straw sippy's and have been hesitant to put smoothies in them because of the valve in the straw...but I am going to try it this afternoon! And the idea of a straw directly into the yoghurt is also a good one. Thanks so much, ladies!

 

The only straw sippies I managed to put smoothies in are the take'n toss, and they often make a mess taking the straw out, so I have to watch them like a hawk. I tried the other straw sippies with it (the valve kind) and it was a disaster. DD couldn't get anything out and had a tantrum. My kids munch on straws so much too, I'm thinking of just getting a bit bag of ones I can just toss when they're done, and hold a cup for them or something.

 

Love the idea of letting them drink from the yogurt itself! I will try that tomorrow morning! I've become a pro at the smoothie thing. I started with organic vanilla yogurt and added a variety of veggies and fruit- the only way they would eat them. They love them. Nowadays I've tried using a little orange juice and veggies and fruit, just for variety and they love that too. I'm also glad to see that mine are not the only ones that like to stir the spoon and throw food around instead of putting them in their mouths . I can't wait for them to learn to eat on their own! :woo: