Rise and Shine Citrus Smoothie

With the chaos that is most mornings in our house, ‘family breakfast’ is a time when just the kids are seen eating while I sip coffee and gather lunches, agendas and lists to start the day. I admit to having a terrible habit of skipping breakfast, with the exception of our traditional weekend brunch when we all sit together and have a great meal. Inarguably so, this time is precious.

As a sponsor of Breakfast Clubs of Canada, Minute Maid polled Canadians on the factors that get in the way of them enjoying their breakfast together. Turns out our family story is the same as many families living in Alberta, as you’ll see in the following slideshow. I had no idea that breakfast habits are so similar from region to region!

.
Yet, common facts from families all across Canada, nationwide?

• Solo eaters: Eight in ten Canadian families don’t sit down for breakfast together
• Do as I say, not as I do: While most Canadian parents would feel worried (41%), guilty (27%) or disappointed (31%) if their children went a day without breakfast, 14% of parents still skip breakfast themselves
• Timing the challenge:  Two in five Canadian parents say their biggest breakfast challenge is lack of time to prepare; a third say it’s a lack of time to eat in the morning at all.
• On the clock: About half of Canadian families  spend less than 10 minutes preparing breakfast and more than half spend less than 15 minutes eating it
• Breakfast balancing basics: Nineteen out of twenty Canadian parents feel it is important that their family eat a well-balanced breakfast; 94% are confident they understand what a well-balanced breakfast is

To help change some habits and bring breakfast back to homes across Canada, Minute Maid has partnered with Canadian Living to develop some delicious recipes to help ease the strain on mornings.

.
I was so curious to check out these recipes, since Minute Maid Orange Juice is ALWAYS seen at our brunch table. Yet honestly, I never thought to cook with it, and I enjoy finding new recipes to add to my favorites list!

The Double Orange Muffins is on my must-make list for the weekend, yet the girls wouldn’t let me wait until then to try the Rise and Shine Citrus Smoothie.

My girls adore their smoothies, yet we’ve been somewhat in a rut lately, always making the same recipe. Not any more!

Not only did we make this recipe together {me operating the blender while they gathered and poured in the ingredients}, yet we drank it together too. Delicious!

Here’s the recipe:

Many households across Canada enjoy a glass of Minute Maid juice with breakfasts. Yet there’s great ways to incorporate the beverage into recipes as well. Making cooking and baking fun, let’s bring families back together for breakfast. Check out the recipes for yourself on their new Pinterest Page!

.

.
.