strawberry chia breakfast bowl

It's strawberry season! If you picked as many boxes as I did, you might be wondering what to do with them now. And if your boxes sat in your fridge a little too long because you forgot about them (also like I did), then you really want to get going on some recipes before they're too mushy!

Welcome to the 2022 Strawberry Season recipe series, where I'll share five awesome ways to use your fresh strawberries. Most of the strawberries I pick or purchase will be thrown in the freezer to use for smoothies throughout the year. Well, part of the year anyway -they won't last long! But I also wanted keep some to experiment with different types of recipes and share with you, and my family of taste testers.

First up, is this Chia Breakfast bowl. It's really just chia pudding but for some reason I just don't love the word pudding, which I didn't realize until I typed it into the title. Now here we are and breakfast bowl sounds nutritious and appetizing enough to me!

Your first step will be to make your strawberry liquid. Mix whatever type of milk you'd like to use with the strawberries, part of a banana, vanilla extract and some hemp seeds for protein. Since this is a breakfast bowl, we need a good amount of protein to start our day and the other ingredients alone won't cut it. I always keep a bag of hemp seeds in the fridge (they'll stay freshest there) so to add to smoothies and baking. They're an awesome source of protein, iron, magnesium and more! The banana is optional, but adds some natural sweetness, and honestly I just had some leftover sitting on my counter so it made the recipe. Blend this all up and then pour it into a jar or bowl. I like to use mason jars for stuff like this since my cupboards are overflowing with them! I really need to send them back to my mom's to be refilled with her amazing preserves (so lucky!)

Once your pretty pink liquid is in the jar, add the chia seeds and give it a good shake. Make sure that lid's on tight! Pop it in the fridge and let it thicken for about 30 minutes. Depending on your morning routine, it's the perfect opportunity to either go get ready for the day or squeeze in that workout! Once you're ready to eat, pour your mixture into a bowl and add your favourite toppings. I added cacao nibs for their slight chocolately flavour and magnesium. I also added some bee pollen because I think it makes things look pretty, oh and it's a pretty amazing way to boost your immune system!

Hope you enjoy this nutritious breakfast! Chia breakfast bowls are a great way to start your day!

The Recipe

1 cup almond milk

3 tbsp hemp seeds

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup fresh strawberries

1/2 banana

1/4 cup chia seeds

Optional toppings:

Cacao nibs

Bee pollen

Nut butter

Shredded coconut

Granola

Blend together the milk, hemp seeds, vanilla, strawberries and banana. Pour the liquid into a mason jar or bowl with a lid and add the chia seeds. Give it a good stir or shake. Let the mixture sit in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes or until thickened. After that, pour into a bowl and add your toppings.

Enjoy!