The unexpected (and inexpensive!) thing you never thought to add to your smoothie to make it healthier.

Smoothies are nearly a religion in my house. They are pretty much the best way ever to boost my kids' diets with power produce and protein, and they taste delicious while they do it. Although...I've learned the hard way that the wrong combination of ingredients -- no matter how delicious on their own -- can taste shockingly gross when blended together. And supplements like protein powders? Not only can the cost big money, but they often leave an icky aftertaste. If you have ever watched me whipping up smoothies for the boys on Instagram Stories, you know that my little one, especially, rejects any smoothie that doesn't taste fruity and sweet, so I'm always on the search for ways to make his smoothie healthier without compromising either. I recently hit the jackpot with a surprising and inexpensive ingredient that now goes in nearly every smoothie I make.

Related: 5 tricks to making a sweet smoothie without heaps of added sugar.

What is this mystery ingredient you ask? Frozen cauliflower!

Yes, seriously.

Cauliflower is a nutritional powerhouse that we know from trends like cauliflower rice and cauliflower crust can be incredibly versatile. I typically buy it fresh because, truth be told, frozen cauliflower cooks up soggy and is tasteless. But what if you don't cook it? Then you have a nutritious, but tasteless frozen veggie.

See where I'm going with this?

Adding frozen cauliflower to smoothies is brilliant, really. It adds a frozen element so you can use more fresh fruit or at least fewer ice cubes, it lends tons of vitamins and minerals, and it adds zero taste.

I will warn you that adding too much can impact your smoothie's texture -- but you'd have to add a lot. Stick to about 1/4 cup per serving of smoothie and you'll be fine. Also, if the smoothie sits for long, the cauliflower will separate a bit, which happens with other fruits and veggies, too, but is gross. So drink up right away.

I was so excited about this trick that, the first time I used it, I told my kids there was cauliflower in their smoothie after their first sips. They had no clue and were so amazed that it became a weird but true type thing that they think is cool. (Yay food + science!) So now, I don't even have to hide the fact that there's cauliflower in their smoothie. I mean, does it get any better?

No. It doesn't.