This sweet smoothie will delight little ones revving up for some Halloween fun. Blending bananas, blueberries, milk and spinach into a deep-purple drink will creep some extra nutrition into the stomachs of unsuspecting drinkers. Maple syrup and cardamom add the final touches.

Dark and Gloomy Blueberry Smoothie

Frozen over-ripe bananas can be used for this recipe. They lend the perfect sweetness and iciness to a smoothie. Maple syrup can be replaced with other sweeteners, such as honey or agave syrup.

Preparation time: 5 to 10 minutes

375 ml (1 1/2 cups) milk

375 ml (1 1/2 cups) loosely packed fresh baby spinach

250 ml (1 cup) frozen blueberries

1 banana, peeled

Pinch ground cardamom or nutmeg

15 ml (1 tbsp) pure maple syrup, or to taste

In a blender, combine milk, spinach, blueberries, banana, cardamom and maple syrup and blend until smooth. Add more maple syrup, if desired. Serve immediately.

Makes 2 to 3 servings (875 ml/3 1/2 cups).

Nutrition information per serving (1/3 of recipe): 144 calories; 3 g fat; 67 mg sodium; 26 g carbohydrates; 2.8 g fibre; 5 g protein.

Source: Dairy Farmers of Canada, www.dairygoodness.ca.