DS10 won't eat solid fruit but loves smoothies. Any recipes?

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Anyone else with a 'smoothie but no other fruit' child?

He doesn't like the skin on fruit and bits/pith. Also no smoothies with banana or oats.

He does eat broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, mushrooms and baby sweetcorn. No salad.

I have a Nutribullet.

Thanks!

Smoothies may be a way of getting him to eat fruit but they are bad for the teeth.

Bad for teeth. Lots of sugar. Can promote weight gain as actually lots are relatively high in calories.

I think that I'd concentrate on the solid food that he will eat putting some small bits of things that he doesn't eat on his plate & encouraging him to give them a try, but no fuss if he doesn't. I'd give him protein drinks as it seems he will only eat veg which lacks protein. Also at his age he needs fats in his diet as well as calcium. Will he eat something like cauliflower cheese?

https://satsumadesigns.com/blogs/satsuma-designs/18045792-nutribullet-smoothie-recipes-for-kids

there are quite a few recipes on the net - I make myself one most days, useoat milk and usually a selection of different berries (I buy frozen fruit / you can easily add kale and other veggies). start experimenting, its a great breakfast

My family eat lots more vegetables and barely any fruit and I don’t see it as a problem as your 5 a day can be just veggies. They prefer fruit like pineapple, melon, mango, grape which I chill at this time of year and might eat a satsuma or two in December for Christmas.
My kids have surprising quirks like hating roasted peppers but loving raw which helped me find more veggies to try.

Presume he eats with the family who are having a 'proper' meal around a table? Peer pressure in the form of watching others enjoying a complete meal can be a big motivator.

The major thing is not to make this a big issue.

My DD was exceptionally fussy about her food. She would eat most veg, but no meat or dairy in the form of milk, but would eat cauliflower or macaroni cheese.

We put the same thing on her plate as her brothers had (but I went a bit heavier on the things that I knew she would eat & would add cauli-cheese as a side dish if necessary), we would suggest that she just try a little bit of what she didn't want to eat. If not, no fuss it gets taken away & no alternative offered

Made this this morning —

https://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/257793/berry-kefir-smoothie/

Although it contains half a banana, you cannot really taste the banana. I’m not keen on bananas and it was very nice.

I disagree with posters dissuading you. If this is a way to encourage in take of fruit & veg, then great. This particular recipe contains half a tsp of vanilla extract so not a great deal of sugar. As part of a balanced diet, totally fine.

You could also consider smoothie bowls, which I enjoy with nuts, granola, fruit, seeds etc.

I wouldn't be encouraging smoothies unless they are veg for the reasons given already, they are really bad for the teeth as it's a pure sugar hit once blitzed.

Thanks all. He eats at the table with us with no pressure. He loves cauliflower cheese!

He has always refused fruit and veg with skin. He loves saucy things so I manage to do hidden veg sauces etc.

He takes a daily multivitamin. He does love the steamed veg listed above and will eat them every day but I do struggle with meal ideas.

He likes cheesy saucy things but won't eat cubes of cheese.

Which other vegetables can I try? He won't eat peas or sweetcorn as they have skin on.

Sweet potato? E.g. sweet potato mash?
broccoli, asparagus, leeks, cabbage, spinach.

There are things you can do about mitigating the sugar content, for example, not adding syrup or honey, adding water to reduce concentration of sugar, adding proteins such as nut butter, Greek yogurt and protein powder which slows down sugar absorption.

I am currently doing a summer reset programme by a leading certified nutritionist, and breakfast smoothies do feature. As part of a balanced diet that has minimal UPFs and refined sugar, I really think there’s nothing wrong with smoothies, esp if home made.

Id much rather consume this than cereals, a Krispy Kreme donut, Coca Cola or bar of chocolate etc.

It is very annoying but I've heard from reliable sources that bought, pre made smoothies are nowhere near as good as ones thst you can make.
i dont even know why really, possibly not enough fibre.

When you blitz a fruit it releases the sugar so your teeth are saturated in it as you drink it. When you keep a fruit as it is and eat it whole,the sugar is kept with the cell structure so released a bit then swallowed. Fruit should be eaten whole. No dentist will advise smoothies unless they are made with veg.

My fave one is frozen tropical smoothie mix (add some water to this before blending), 1 ripe avocado, 1 banana (can't taste this in it), some Greek style yogurt, flax seeds and honey. Even my DD9 likes this

If he likes smoothies, would he like pureed veg soup - like carrot, red pepper, onion or butternut squash and leek, pureed until very smooth.

I agree with PP who say the occasional smoothie is fine. It will get vitamins into him and help him like a range of fresh flavours. Mango, carrot and orange is good.

Blueberries with vanilla essence and greek yoghurt would be low sugar. I add banana too, but if he doesn't like it, there's no point.

You might need to sieve raspberry or strawberry ones because of seeds.

I love watermelon and mint but DC hate it. Might be worth a try.

The occasional smoothie is fine - sugar is fine from time to time! It’s about balance. Also sugar from fruit is much better than other sugar.

When did he last go to the dentist? Not liking skin could be toothache/sensitive gums related.

Children don't really need to eat fruit. The vitamins and minerals in fruit are available in vegetables and fructose isn't a good source of short term energy. If he doesn't like fruit don't sweat it.

Not really actually. Glucose in small quantities can provide immediately accessible energy. Fructose is converted to fat before it can be used for energy. This is fine if your child is slim and active but not great if they aren't. Fruit is produced at the end of the summer for mammals to eat lots of it and lay down fat stores for the winter.

I’ve got a soup maker and it makes really really smooth soup out of any fresh veg. My kids love it. Might be good for getting other veg in?

As I previously said - a smoothie, when combined with things like kefir, protein powder, nuts, seeds and healthy fats like avocados, I think there can be many benefits. Yes, it will release natural sugars, but these ingredients can curb the spike. It’s a great way to encourage more fruit & veg intake. It’s all about balance (I.e. not every day), a healthy recipe and yes, exercise…

He has been to the dentist recently and all fine.

He used to pass his berries, peas and sweetcorn to his brother at mealtimes as a toddler.

He won't eat sweet potato.

I do rely on My Fussy Eater.com for lots of hidden veg recipes.

He has just started eating mushrooms which is great. I'll keep adding a few pieces of veg to the side and see how it goes.

For sure - if the fruit is used to make the other ingredients palatable to kids then it's great!

😊