My kids love smoothies. Not all of them though, they seem to shy away from the ones that have spinach in them, but I’m hoping that they’ll come around soon enough. I don’t like to put pressure on them to eat green vegetables if they’re not in the mood. Sometimes you’ve got to trick them into eating healthier by accommodating to their love of chocolate. And yes, chocolate can be good for you, but it can’t be candy bars from the grocery store, you’ve got to get them on the good stuff, like cacao powder or dark chocolate that has at least 80% cacao in it. I know you’ll love this kid-friendly avocado chocolate paleo smoothie as much as my family does.

Go Cacao Crazy

Cacao powder is the first ingredient in this delicious smoothie recipe. Cold-pressing unroasted cocoa beans make raw or unsweetened cacao powder. They’re packed with protein and fat and is one of the best sources of antioxidants you can find. Chocolate has long been shown to help boost immunity and improve overall health too, plus they’re great for improving cardiovascular health. It can also help to improve your mood, influencing neurotransmitters to enhance cognitive function. (1) I love to use this Healthworks Certified Organic Cacao Powder because it’s totally guilt-free. They only source cacao powder from small, organic farms, where the cacao beans are hand harvested and carefully milled into fine powder.

Mint is known as a breath freshener, but it also makes a great pairing with cacao. The two extremes of chocolate and mint come together in this recipe to make the freshest yet most delicious smoothie ever.

Mint has several health benefits too. It’s been shown to be a remarkable antioxidant when compared to other herbs and spices. (2) Plus it’s packed with Vitamin A, which helps your eyes. (3) To make this delicious recipe, you’ll want to add a couple of mint leaves or vanilla extract to a blender with avocado and almond milk. An excellent tip for those of you who use mint is to tear the mint leaves up before blending them; it releases a great aroma that might even freshen up the kitchen for a bit.