Purple Power Smoothie

I’ve always been a fan of grapes. In their natural form they’ve got that perfect crunch. Plus, they’re small and not messy – my favorite kind of snack! And, as I recently learned, grapes are a player in living a heart healthy lifestyle. Who knew?!?

Thanks to Concord grapes and the plant nutrient polyphenols, Welch’s 100% grape juice is ready to help you and me live a heart healthy lifestyle. In fact, keeping color in mind when eating will always be key when it comes to staying healthy. But, since February is American Heart Month, we’re focusing on the purple family around here!

That brings us to a new family favorite … the Purple Power Smoothie! I hope you and your crew like it as much as we did!

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
• 1 cup Welch’s 100% Grape Juice
• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 1/2 cup blackberries
• 1 teaspoon hemp hearts (another heart healthy food)
• 1 handful spinach
• 1  cup ice

DIRECTIONS

Blend until smooth and then blend a little more :) My kids hate gritty smoothies so we always aim to make them super duper smooth! Pour into cups and serve. Can also be frozen and eaten with a spoon like a healthy ice cream!

To encourage your family to explore colorful additions to their meals and learn more about a heart healthy lifestyle, give these conversation starters and projects. And definitely chime in with your favorite ways to encourage healthy living!

• Draw a rainbow and then discuss fruits and veggies that fall into each color group. The book, “Eating the Alphabet” by Lois Elhert is a fabulous educational tool for all ages, I even learned some new produce! 
• Shop for Welch’s grape juice with this coupon!
• Practice knife skills by cutting grapes with a child appropriate knife.
• If you have a reader/speller, add words like “heart”, “healthy”, “grapes” and “polyphenols” to their spelling list.
• Ask your kids what heart=pumping activities they enjoy most.
• Create your own recipe with Welch’s 100% grape juice. I loved this one and this one that fellow bloggers created.
• Share the Purple Power Smoothie on Pinterest and pre-prep your own smoothie bags so you can simply dump and blend on busy mornings!