Drinking a Rainbow!

I thought this would be a fun thing to do with the kiddos for St. Patty's Day tomorrow...

We LOVE smoothies at our house, and the other day, I invented "Rainbow Smoothies" for the kiddos. (I've been trying to get them to eat healthier, and have been creating fun ways for them to do so.)
I had the kiddos pick out fruits and veggies from each of the rainbow colors, then we put them in the smoothie maker pitcher in reverse order. Here's our mix: purple--grapes (a handful), blue--blueberries (a handful), green--kiwis (2), yellow--bananas (1) and pineapple (1/3 of a can), orange--carrots (a handful of mini ones), red--strawberries (about 2 cups). We then added some "clouds"--vanilla yogurt (3 large spoonfuls) and milk (about a cup). Blend it all together really well, and enjoy!
Since we make smoothies a lot, I've learned a few tricks:
1. Pineapple is THE magic ingredient. I stock up on canned pineapple, and use about 1/3 of the fruit and juice in a smoothie. I put the rest in a plastic container in the fridge for later.
2. When using veggies, be sure to use pineapple! (Or even some frozen juice concentrate.) It helps to make up in sweetness for what the veggies lack. Some good veggies in smoothies: tomatoes (okay, so they are REALLY a fruit), spinach, carrots, celery (chop it small against the grain or you will have long "threads", cucumbers, and squash. Remember to not use too much of one veggie, or it won't taste good.
3. Children will NOT drink a bland smoothie! (It has to be sweet!) You can always add some sugar to it if it's not sweet enough. I've done that PLENTY of times! :P
4. Use a mix of frozen and fresh or canned. Using some frozen veggies gives you the thicker texture you've come to expect from a smoothie. You can save time by just buying frozen, or you can freeze most fresh fruits to use in smoothies. (Most don't look very good after freezing, which is why it's okay to put in a smoothie.) If you don't have frozen fruit, use about 2 cups of crushed ice.
5. You DON'T have to measure accurately every time. It kind of makes it fun to taste the different combinations!
6. Add in some flax seed or wheat germ for some extra healthy benefits! (I forgot to this time, but was thinking you could add some in and call it leprechaun gold!)
7. Involve the kiddos! Have them choose what to put in, and let help cut up some of the softer fruits (bananas, kiwi, etc.) with a table knife. They can also push the button on the blender. Children are more excited to eat something they've helped make!

Bon Apetite!