One simple, delicious smoothie with a powerful immune boosting punch from elderberries, vitamin C, and gut building probiotics! Very kid friendly in taste too!
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I am pretty sure every library storytime and preschool drop off we have been to this fall there are one or two kids there with croupy coughs and drippy noses. And in the 2 months since kindergarten started, I have already had reports from my “little momma” that so-and-so was out sick today, emails sent home about pink eye, and on and on.
Since I don’t have a newborn this year, I’m still getting the girls out and about, and I’m really not sweating it. I know my kids’ bodies are ready to fight infection, and I don’t want them kept in a bubble.
We will, and certainly have, come in contact with cold bugs, and probably even the flu. My goal in the fall and most of the winter is getting immune supporting bone broth in the girls daily. Whether in soups or mugs, bone broth is my weapon of choice to battle bugs.
Sometimes, however, I feel we just need a big boost in addition to that. If it has been a long week and I know the girls are tired or run down. If I know there is a cold or flu bug going through the classroom that my daughter spends 7 hours a day in. Or that kid from library time that just loves babies gives her a runny nosed hug.
IMMUNE BOOSTING PLAYERS:
- VITAMIN C: Vitamin C supports the immune system, and when you source it right
, it really can enhance your body’s ability to fight infection fast. Please note just simple ascorbic acid is not what we are talking about here. UPDATE 2021 :: I love the new Acerola Cherry Vitamin C from Perfect Supplements for smoothies! There is a very mild fruity flavor so it blends in well with this smoothie, and is a whole food source of quality Vitamin C! - PROBIOTICS: Since your immune system resides mostly in the gut, having your good bacteria up to par is very important. There needs to be balance in the bacteria population so I like to rotate our probiotics to introduce new gut flora. I like to start with THIS one, and then rotate with THIS. UPDATE 2022 :: I still recommend the powdered probiotics linked in the previous statement – those are great to add into a smoothie. THIS is also a great one for kids to add in, or THIS one is good too. My kids will swallow this capsule which I very highly recommend, but it will not blend into a smoothie well as it has an odor and is soil based which is why I love it so much.
- ELDERBERRY SYRUP: Specifically beneficial in helping support the body during viruses, elderberry syrup is great for colds and flu. It also has a very pleasant taste so it helps sweeten the smoothie.
, it really can enhance your body’s ability to fight infection fast. Please note just simple ascorbic acid is not what we are talking about here. UPDATE 2021 :: I love the new 
one, and then rotate with 
. UPDATE 2022 :: I still recommend the powdered probiotics linked in the previous statement – those are great to add into a smoothie. 
Immune Booster Smoothie
Ingredients
- ¾ cup frozen organic blueberries could use any frozen berries
- 1 cup whole raw milk, yogurt, or coconut milk (water works too in a pinch)
- 1-2 TB organic coconut oil melted (depending on your taste)
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 2 TB cold soluble grassfed collegen See Tips section for more info on this
- 1 TB homemade elderberry syrup if using store bought, follow the serving directions for 1 dose
- Vitamin C & probiotics per supplement dosing directions
Instructions
- Everything into your blender and blend until smooth.
Tips:
- This makes 1 “adult” sized smoothie – my 3 and 5 year olds split one. I have been making a little extra for my 1 year old to have and she has been really liking them.
- I really love having the cold soluable grassfed collagen around for smoothies. Not only does it give a protein source to smoothies very easily (just dump it in!), it is also very helpful in restoring gut lining to normal.
- Add or subtract the supplements as you feel necessary. You can read more about the vitamin C I like to use for immune boosting HERE.
- If your kiddo is already feeling ill, you can make the smoothie on the blander side if they are recovering but can still get a small amount of food in. Leave out the milk and use water. Maybe back off on the coconut oil. Maybe add a pinch of sea salt to add some minerals for electrolyte balance.
- I just use my simple Magic Bullet to blend this all up! This serving fits perfectly!
to blend this all up! This serving fits perfectly!This post was shared at Fat Tuesday, Real Food Wednesday, and Allergy Free Wednesday!
I love it when things are healthy *and* delicious! 🙂
I love adding gelatin to my smoothies. And the idea to add elderberry syrup is great! I’ll have to try this one out!
I’m battling the crud as we speak. I need to make this often to survive this season. Thanks for the recipe!!
This would be great for my kids! 🙂
Such a great recipe. I shared it on my FB page!
<3 this! This is the perfect way to start the day!
I love this! Gotta love those immune boosting ingredients, especially the Elderberry syrup and the collagen.
Love the color and the cute bottle!
I make these often and have great success healing my kids!! Thank you! Trish
I have had much success with these kinds of smoothies with my children. Thank you! Trish
I’ve actually never added collagen to my smoothies. Added protein sounds like a good idea! There seems to be a lot of sickness going around the town right now (flue & respiratory stuff, mostly) so this is timely!
What a great way to take more elderberry syrup during this season. Yum!
Just bought collagen. Never thought to put it in my smoothies. Great recipe.
I was just thinking on creating a smoothie with elderberry…and then I saw this! Awesome…featuring this this week, thanks for sharing it with us!
I am curious about the multivitamin your kids take. You said it contained Vitamin C, which is not the same as citric acid, correct? I read in the reviews that they changed the formula, removing a number of controversial ingredients, but seemingly adding a lot more, including cane sugar and citric acid. They also said the new formula doesn’t taste good. I noticed you posted this after the formula change, and was wondering your thoughts on those things? I am looking for a kids’ multi that specifically does NOT contain folic acid, but true folate instead.
Hi Ashley! That’s a great question! Yes since the publish date of this post there are some things that have changed in the formula of the multi. Also, since the publish date of this post I am approaching supplements a little differently with my kids now that I am working with an NTP for my supplement needs. I do still give these multivitamins to my kids especially during the school year, however I give them a separate whole food vitamin C (the C in the GOL multi is still a whole food source by the way – not ascorbic acid so it is good just not enough for immune boosting – the citric acid you are referring to is in the coating to make it shelf stable – not for vitamin C sourcing – their C sourcing is whole food.), the folic acid in this multi is in the form of folate which is important to me too – believe me I have checked 🙂 I have MTHFR mutations so I know it is possible my girls do to so folate is importa to me as well. my supplement needs. I am not concerned about the sugar – it is in the form of sucanant first of all not just processed cane sugar – sucanat is raw unprocessed sugar. And to be honest I would rather my kids be ingesting a food like sucanat than xylitol. It is also just so minute and my kids don’t have sugar anyway other than that so I’m just not concerned. It is a good product ingredient-wise for a multi so, yes I am still ok with it. I am however approaching the multi thing differently once my kids can can swallow pills (which right now is only my 6 year old) I am switching to using grassfed beef liver pills instead of multis per my NTP’s suggestion. They contain more vitamins and minerals that our bodies need in a real food way. She also drinks nettles tea infusions most days of the week that provide numerous minerals as well. This is how my NTP has me doing things so I’m just doing it that way once the girls can swallow – my 4 year old can swallow a small probiotic pill but the liver pills are a little bigger. I hope this helps a little 🙂
Love this! Adding to the immune-boosting arsenal!
Thanks for sharing an awesome idea for boosting immune systems.