June 12, 2015

Smoothie-licious with Jenna Helwig + Giveaway

Smoothie-licious | The Naptime Chef

I don’t post a lot of smoothie recipes in this space because mostly they confound me. What the proper ratio of vegetables to liquid? How much sugar is too much? How do I properly “superfood” my beverage without overdoing it? Lucky for me, my friend Jenna Helwig has finally written a Smoothie-licious: Power-Packed Smoothies and Juices the Whole Family Will Love, a cookbook I can identify with. The recipes are amazing and accessible! That means, smoothie novices like me don’t find them intimidating in the least. In fact, they look downright delicious. Today Jenna stopped by to talk all things Smoothies and share a copy of her book to give away!

1) I’ll admit, some smoothie recipes intimidate me. But your book makes them so accessible. How did you first start making smoothies for your family?
About three years ago I did a “detox” where I gave up caffeine, alcohol, gluten, dairy, and sugar for a week. I also tried to eat more veggies, including at breakfast. Since I have more of a sweet tooth in the morning smoothies seemed like a natural choice. I started concocting naturally sweet smoothies and my favorite was a creamy drink with avocado (it turned into the recipe Avocado Bliss in Smoothie-licious). The real eye-opener was when my daughter—an avowed avocado hater—asked for a sip and continued to drink it even after I told her what the ingredients were.
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2) I still like the texture of eating salads, though some of these blended drinks looks amazing. How do you balance soothies with the rest of your family’s eating habits. For us smoothies are a perfect breakfast or after-school snack. They are quick to blend up, endlessly customizable, and fun to drink. At least once a week my daughter suggests new smoothie combinations to try.

3) Where do you look for inspiration when you are coming up with a new smoothie recipe? Typically I am inspired by ingredients — what can I add to papaya for a delicious smoothie? Or, what will taste amazing with frozen cherries? Or, what is the best ingredient combo to add hemp seeds to for a protein boost? I also like to think about occasions. There is a whole chapter in Smoothie-licious featuring Special Occasion smoothies, including recipes for sleepovers, summer days, and holidays like Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and April Fool’s Day.

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4) What is your greatest smoothie success story? How did a smoothie help improve someone’s overall eating habits? Drinking smoothies has made everyone in my family a better eater. My husband and I consume more vegetables at breakfast, always a good thing. And my daughter has been willing to try all sorts of new ingredients in the form of a smoothie. She doesn’t like them all (yet), but I’m thrilled when she sips chia seeds, pomegranate juice, baby kale, and beets, just to name a few.

5) What is next for you in the smoothie world? I’d love to see a line at my local store!! You never know! Right now I’m so excited to share Smoothie-licious with other parents. And, I’m still concocting new drinks at home in the blender. Smoothie inspiration never ends!

Thanks, Jenna!

ps – Don’t forget to check out more of my Interviews with Authors here!

To win a copy of Smoothie-licious:

1) Share the ingredients of your dream smoothie!

2) Follow Kelsey Banfield on Facebook.

3) Contest runs from June 11th through June 18th at 7:00am. Winner will be announced in the June 19th newsletter.

Photography ©2015 by Lauren Volo, Cover art compliments of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

8 Responses to “Smoothie-licious with Jenna Helwig + Giveaway”

  1. Laura Scott says:

    I love frozen bananas and almond butter in a smoothie.

  2. miranda says:

    I am thinking pina colada ingredients!

  3. miranda says:

    like you on FB

  4. Cecilia says:

    Chocolate and peanut butter

  5. Cecilia says:

    I like you on FB

  6. gary says:

    I love smoothies with peanut butter

  7. gary says:

    like you on FB

  8. Karen Lynch says:

    Like you on facebook