On-the-Go Strawberry Breakfast Smoothie

Hangry is pervasive in our house. So is this gluten-free, grain-free On-the-Go Strawberry Breakfast Smoothie (complete with vegan and paleo options), which, more often than not, happens to be the antidote.

Hangry is a real thing. At least in our family it is. We all suffer from it to varying degrees. K-Hubs and Twinkle might be the worst of us all. It’s a whole thing. Food is the only answer, no matter where we are, no matter what we are trying to accomplish in that small window of sanity that presents itself to every family with littles. The struggle is real.

Of all the recipes we make for the girls, On-the-Go Strawberry Breakfast Smoothie is the one we make the most. (And Creamy Paleo Fudge. We do make a lot of fudge.) It is my answer to, “Mom, I’m hungry!” “Mom, what is there to eat?” “Mom, when is dinner?” You just finished lunch, kiddo, it’s in six hours.

On-the-Go Strawberry Breakfast Smoothie is my answer to “We need to run errands but everyone needs a filling snack.” My reply to myself when I say, “I have five minutes to eat. What should I have?” My choice for refueling the energy bank while also quieting my hunger.

It also got us through our camping trip this summer, and came in especially handy when we didn’t have a grill to cook our meat. Bless that mess and this smoothie. But, seriously? Camping with a soon-to-be first grader and an almost-preschooler is everything life experiences are meant to be.

I say this a lot, but I’ll say it again. This smoothie is easy to make. It’s also year-round convenient because, for best results, I highly suggest using frozen strawberries that thaw at room temperature, outside (if the weather is warm), or in the refrigerator. I then use the juice collected at the bottom of the measuring cup as the water for the smoothie, giving it a strong, fruity flavor that is far from watered down.

This is also a smoothie we make in batches when the avocados are ripe and the strawberries are thawed, freezing what we don’t need right away. 3-Ingredient Strawberry Breakfast Smoothie:

• Is a gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, and grain-free 
• Includes vegan and paleo variations
• Is perfect for breakfast, especially late starts, and as an on-the-go snack
• Offers a creamy texture without including milk or other dairy products
• Takes just a matter of seconds to blend

Ooh, and as for that creamy, dairy-free texture? The secret is in the avocado. But, you won’t feel like you’re drinking guacamole (my original fear – but I remember in that moment it was Toodle who was hungry and all the good stuff in the pantry had been eaten, so I threw the lone avocado in with the strawberries as a filler, said a prayer, and hit “blend”). Guacamole is so delicious, but I prefer it on a chip or on a carrot. Perhaps covering a spoon. But not as a beverage. No, this strawberry smoothie will taste like a strawberry, and the avocado will make you think you’re consuming a rich, creamy concoction. Depending on the size of the avocado, how many strawberries you add, and how thawed they are when you blend everything together, your smoothie will vary in color.

I remember the first few times I made this. I was so worried Toodle would figure out I had added avocado or some other healthy accoutrement to the fold that when I got a different color, I PANICKED. Because you KNOW your kids will notice a change in color or texture or quantity. My kids never know the yield of any recipe until I change it to be healthier. Then they notice ALL THE THINGS. Anyway, I thought I had forgotten my own recipe and made it wrong. Nope. It was the avocado. A different size. A bigger avocado will yield a lighter pink color. Thawed strawberries sitting in the juice will yield a pinker shade, and if the smoothie sits for a day, the color will also darken.

If your kiddos are avocado-averse, I suggest starting out with just a fraction of the avocado at first, building up to a whole avocado over time. We started out with about 1/2 of an avocado and now use an entire one for each batch. You can also adjust the sweetness. On average, we use about 5 tablespoons or somewhere in the neighborhood of 1/3 cup. This is a little higher than I would like, but, I say baby steps. We’ve worked our way up to a whole avocado. Now we can begin to cut back a little on the sweetener.

As for what sweetener to use, it is completely up to you. Agave nectar is my favorite for this recipe, which makes it vegan, followed by 100% pure honey, which makes it paleo. Your call.

Seriously, the creamy strawberry-ness of this On-the-Go Strawberry Breakfast Smoothie is bordering on ridiculous. But go ahead and make it anyway. Hangry is a real thing, and it needs an antidote.

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