If you're anything like me, then that hour between half seven and half eight in the morning is basically the most stressful hour of the entire day.
Every night I go to sleep with great intentions to get out the door in time without leaving the house looking like it's been turned over by thieves (aka toddlers) or stepping in squashed banana or discovering later around lunchtime that I only lined one eye. I'm perpetually late, throw a child into that mix and I'm beyond late. The Child isn't going to school yet but I know that when the time comes I will most likely be in danger of delivering him to school so late that we are actually verging on early for the next day of lessons. I am aware that the ideal feeding scenario is sitting down to eat mindfully at a table not throwing granola bars in his general direction in the backseat as you speed to the school gates but we all have these days. For the anticipated back-to-school rush, I will be ready. I know, I know if I'm preparing to be late can I not just prepare properly and be on time? I'm not that talented sadly.
The ultimate back-to-school brekkie on the hop has got to be a smoothie. The smoothie is a parental godsend. It is how I manage to get my child to eat fruit and vegetables in one way, shape or form, and they are wonderfully portable. I make mine with the Kenwood Smoothie 2Go Sport, which comes with two slick, sporty bottles that are guaranteed no-leak (I know because they have withstood the toddlers manhandling).
Also with the Kenwood Smoothie 2Go Sport you blend the ingredients in the takeaway cup hence minimal washing up required. All the chopping and prep for smoothies can be done in advance – check out our 5 genius tips for streamlining your morning smoothie preparations. Also supermarkets like Aldi and Lidl stock an excellent selection of frozen fruit such as berries, mango and pineapple.
If your child is younger, fill a sippy cup for your little one — I use one by BrotherMax (the 4-in-1 trainer cup which you can get in
Boots) as it has a rubber nozzle that allows slightly thicker liquids through.
Green Berry Smoothie
Make 1 large (for me!) and 1 small (for him!)
Ingredients:
- 300 ml almond or dairy milk
- 2 handfuls of kale or baby spinach
- 2 bananas, sliced
- 1 cup frozen berries
- 4 tablespoons porridge oats
- 1 tablespoon raw cacao powder (I’m not going to lie, this is definitely the key ingredient without which I’m sure the Child would not be so enthusiastic – it really tastes like chocolate milkshake!)
Directions:
Place all the ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy, ensuring that all the kale or spinach whichever you are using is well combined. Decant into a cup for each of you and hit the road.
