Strawberr-Wee Lemonade
Every Sunday when we go to our local farmer’s market, Kenya fervently looks forward to two things — a pupusa with tons of cabbage slaw and a big flavored lemonade. It’s so incredible for us as parents to watch how monumental this ritual is for him. Many of the central and south American food stands at the LA markets feature huge clear barrels of various naturally flavored lemonades. In addition to the tried and true original lemon version, there is also raspberry, strawberry, watermelon and various other fresh combinations, their gorgeous colors luring anyone who passes by — as well as Kenya.
As the weather gets hotter, so does our family while we shop the market, and we inevitably find ourselves wilting in the heat every summer weekend. There have already been numerous days these past two months that were so hot, shopping for food became difficult and we all started salivating as we (along with Kenya) looked at those gigantic clear vats of lemonade calling our names. I’m always more then happy to indulge Kenya with this special treat, especially considering how thirsty the rising temperatures makes us this time of year. But I also know these lemonades are made with a good deal of sugar and so when possible, I try to sway Kenya towards a nice tall bottle of water, so we can make homemade strawberr-wee lemonade with our food purchases from the market when we get home.
As soon as the produce is unpacked, Kenya is up at the counter rolling the lemons (one of his favorite kitchen jobs because he knows that’s the best way to release the juice). With just a rinse of the berries, a touch of natural sweetener, a quick puree and a brisk stir, our healthy lemonade is ready for us to gulp down and enjoy!
Strawberry Lemonade (Serves 4)
1 Cup Chopped Fresh Strawberries, stemmed & washed
1/2 Cup Lemon Juice
1/4 Cup Agave or Honey
2 Cups Water
Ice for Serving
1. Puree strawberries and honey (or agave) in a blender or food processor until smooth and transfer to a pitcher.
2. Pour the strawberry mixture, water and lemon juice in a pitcher and stir to combine.
3. Chill and serve over ice.
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Tags: agave, agave recipes, dairy free recipes, drinks for kids, egg free recipes, gluten free recipes, healthy drinks for kids, honey, lemonade drink recipes, lemonade recipes, low fat recipes, Own, OWN show, recipes for children, recipes for kids, strawberry, strawberry lemonade, strawberry recipes, sugar free drinks, sugar free drinks for kids, summertime drinks, toddler recipes, weelicious, wholesome toddler food
Ohhhhh this looks wonderful. I will be making this for Cole tonight for after dinner coolness. I bet it’s wonderful.
I just made this and it is so refreshing! I bet it would also make great home-made popsicles.
looks so refreshing
This tasted so good. Such a refreshing treat for the summer! Cole was more into his milk tonight but Mom and Dad sure enjoyed. I just love that everything is fresh. How great is that!?
I like that you use all the abundant seasonal fruits and veggies!
please be warned: this recipe contains far too much agave nectar than is considered safe.
Here is an extract from Dr Mercola:
Just keep your overall fructose usage below 25 grams per day, agave syrup included. One teaspoon of agave syrup has 4 grams of fructose.
This recipe calls for a 1/4 cup agave, which is equal to 12 (yes, 12!) teaspoons, and contains 4 servings. So, each serving contains 3 teaspoons agave, which is equal to 12 grams of fructose (i.e. half your RDA), not to mention the naturally-occurring fructose in the strawberries and lemon.
So, let’s not kid ourselves that using agave nectar as a sweetener is any better than simple refined white sugar- the truth is that it is actually WORSE. Better to use stevia if you are really after a low sugar substitute. Or just less ‘real’ sugar.
NYCMama, thank you for your thoughts. I too have read Dr Mercola’s articles on agave. I’ve done a TON of research, talked to Doctors, chefs, nutritionist, etc..and here’s what I’m recommending and living by with my family. When it comes to sugars, everything in moderation. I wish that agave was a true “get out of jail free card”. Most of the sweet recipes online and in cookbooks use white and brown sugar, so I try to use different sweeteners like agave, rice syrup, honey, etc.. in my recipes to offer a choice. I love agave for it’s neutral flavor, smooth texture and sweet taste. We use agave in our house, but sometimes we want a traditional cookie with sugar or white cupcakes which can’t be made with anything, but white sugar (I made mini cupcakes for Chloe’s birthday yesterday). I tested them with different type of sweeteners, but they just weren’t any good. When I make lemonade, I use agave. It’s just about finding that balance.
One of my chef friends who owns a restaurant that serves 80% of the food from his farm said that there’s a council for everything. The dairy council, the sugar council, meat etc… There are articles saying that agave is the best thing in the world and others that say it’s the worst. This again goes back to balance!
nycmama
How much do you consider to be a serving anyway? Our youngsters are not drinking all that much so I consider this to be a safe alternative to sugars.
[...] Next, I’m going to try to make lemonade with agave nectar. I hope it’s good because my boys LOVE lemonade, but I only make it as a treat during the summer because it has so much sugar in it. I’ll let you know how it goes. Strawberry Lemonade with Agave Nectar Recipe from weelicious.com [...]
Just made this for my 3 yo and she loved it! So did I! We made the leftovers into popsicles!