Getting veggies into your fussy young ones can be a daily struggle. But the task can be made easier with the sweet smoothness of blended health drinks. To preserve all the raw nutrient power available in fresh whole fruits and vegetables, a strong, high-speed blender capable of taking on tough root veggies and making them silky smooth can become your greatest ally. But if you have a standard model or mini-blender at home that gets the job done, you can:

1. Steam or boil your firm fruits and veggies until tender - but this method will cook away all those amazing and healthful enzymes and nutrients only found in raw foods.

2. Juice your produce in a powerful juicer (centrifugal or masticating, not a rotating citrus juice extractor) - but this method will leave out much of the good fiber and minerals found in the skin and flesh.

Here are three great ways to slip vegetables (undetected) into your kids' health smoothies:

Chocolate broccoli smoothie

Servings: 2

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups chopped broccoli (florets and stalks)

• 2 cups blueberries

• 1 large banana

• 1/2 avocado

• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder (preferably raw)

• Milk (dairy or non-dairy)

Directions

1. Chop broccoli stems and florets. Peel banana. Add to blender.

2. Cut avocado in half around pit. Remove pit and scoop out flesh into blender.

3. Add blueberries and cocoa powder.

4. Add milk as needed and blend until smooth.

5. Serve and enjoy!

Creamy orange smoothie

Servings: 2

Ingredients

• 2 cups orange juice (about 6 oranges or 10 tangerines when juiced)

• 2 medium carrots

• 1/2 small sweet potato

• Plain or vanilla yogurt (dairy or non-dairy)

Directions

1. If using the juicing method, juice oranges or tangerines. Add juice to blender.

2. Peel sweet potato and dice. Slice carrots. Add to blender.

3. Add yogurt as needed and blend until smooth.

4. Serve and enjoy!

Green apple smoothie

Servings: 2

Ingredients

• 2 green apples (preferably tart)

• 2 kiwis

• 1 lime

• 2 packed cups chopped kale (or spinach leaves)

• Apple juice or apple cider (unfiltered, fresh-pressed)

Directions

1. Peel, core and dice apples. Peel and chop kiwis. Add to blender.

2. Chop kale or spinach leaves. Add greens to blender.

3. Slice lime in half and squeeze juice into blender, straining seeds.

4. Add apple juice or cider as needed and blend until smooth.

5. Serve and enjoy!

These smoothies are healthy and delicious, and they will be a hit with the whole family. Keep your kids going with natural, unrefined sugars, complex carbs, vitamins, minerals and protein. These recipes balance needed veggie nutrition with kid-friendly, fruity sweetness. A perfect replacement for processed, sugary snack foods, a smoothie is the satisfying after-school treat that won't spoil your little one's dinner.