Willits Kids Club Family Festival

The Willits Kids Club is a bustling, happy place for kids. They have a grand, well-equipped building and plans for an outdoor play area that will rival the best of playgrounds. But, best of all, Willits Kids Club is run by engaging and creative adults who work tirelessly to provide families with a wholesome after-school community center.

I know all this because I’ve had the pleasure of visiting the Willits Kids Club on a weekly basis for the past year. I visit and facilitate cooking demonstrations, taste testings, and nutrition lessons with a dedicated group of local teen peer educators from the BEANS (Better Eating, Activity, and Nutrition for Students) program.

Every few months we also get to participate in one of the Willits Kids Club Family Festivals. This month’s festival featured healthy snacks, smoothies (made by the BEANS teen peer educators), WiiFit games, outdoor activities, and a musical dance party sponsored by the local BEANS teens and the Network for a Healthy California. Our smoothies and our music were a hit! Please enjoy our feature smoothie recipe from the Willits Kids Club Family Festival.

Tropical Surprise Smoothie

Makes 4 servings. 1 cup per serving
Prep time: 5 minutes

In a blender, add the following ingredients:
1 cup frozen mango chunks
1 ripe banana
1 cup 100% orange/mango juice
1 cup lowfat vanilla yogurt
4 pitted dates (for added sweetness without adding sugar!)
1 cup ice cubes
AND the secret ingredients…
¼ cup cooked beets
and/or 10 leaves of fresh baby spinach

What a great way to get all the vitamins and goodness of fruits AND veggies!