Healthy Homemade Strawberry Lemonade – The Stuff Summer Memories Are Made Of!

Grab your kids and get in the kitchen! This healthy homemade strawberry lemonade recipe is sweetened with the perfect blend of Maple Syrup and Strawberries!

It has become a classic summer recipe in our house! And best of all, with no refined sugars, this is also a clean eating compliant and kid friendly recipe!

When I was in elementary, we would visit my Grandma on Molokai (Hawaii) for the summer. In her front yard, she had a huge banyon tree with roots that popped out of the ground…perfect for playing lava monster! We played on that tree for hours and hours!

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That was back when cell phones and tablets weren’t around to distract us and we had to entertain ourselves! What a novel idea…

I had a cousin who was the same age as me and our families would meet up and my grandparents house every few years. It was always exciting when we were together and we were allowed to run off and keep ourselves busy (without parents…gasp)!

One afternoon, we were playing on the banyan tree when she spotted a skinny little tree growing behind the garage. We got a closer look and determined that it was a lemon tree! We were so excited that we ran over and picked as many lemons as we could carry and brought them in the house.

I’m not sure if my family knew what we were up to because I feel like they would have stopped us if they knew…

How to Juice A Lemon

We found an olive green pastic Tupperware pitcher (remember those??) and we started squeezing lemon juice into the pitcher.

We knew to cut the lemons in half, but we really didn’t know what we were doing. We used our little kid hands to squeeze the juice out but we weren’t strong enough (or effective enough) to get much juice out!

Now we know how to do it properly 🙂 If you need a refresher, watch the Facebook Live video that the kids and I made showing you how to juice lemons:

In the video, we even let you in on a little secret! TIP: Microwave the lemon for 10-15 seconds to soften it. Then roll it on the table with your palm to get the lemon juice flowing!

After that, all you need to do is cut it in half and squeeze the juice! (see the video for a demo).

These days I have a better idea of what I am doing 😉 and Strawberry lemonade is a family favorite around here!

Red Robin Strawberry Lemonade

We eat healthy at home, but when we have special occasions, we will eat almost anything! Whenever my kids have a birthday, they always choose to eat at Red Robin (I always try to change their minds but they are persistent)!

They love the free ice cream dessert and they REALLY love the strawberry lemonade. I pretend to taste their lemonade, when really I am trying to drink a bunch of it so they get less sugar, but it is so sweet! It is not my favorite.

But, when we made this recipe, the kids told me it was as good as, if not better than the Red Robin Strawberry Lemonade! What?? Now that is a compliment!

Is It Healthy To Drink Lemonade?

Like all beverages, lemonade should be consumed in moderation. When we go to restaurants and the kids order strawberry lemondate, I would say no, that is not healthy.

However, when we make lemonade at home and sweeten it with honey, I would consider that a healthy treat!

Remember our family motto: Eat healthy at home so we don’t have to worry about it when we go out!  🙂

Is Pink Lemonade The Same as Strawberry Lemonade?

Pink lemonade is traditionally colored with red dye (yuck, I know). But lately, with the shift in consumer preferences, I have started seeing pink lemonade colored with natural fruit coloring.

However, strawberry lemonade is a traditional yellow lemonade with the addition of sweetened strawberries. In most recipes, the strawberries are covered in sugar and left to soften and absorb the sugar.

In this recipe, we use frozen strawberries to get the same texture and consistency. However, we boil it in maple syrup to bring out the natural sweetness.

Benefits of Lemon Water

Without maple syrup, you just have lemon water! Lemon water is a great way to start the day and is best consumed first thing in the morning, before anything else, for best results. I also like to drink it after a greasy meal to ease my stomach.

Lemon water is a natural laxative and some people (hand raised) believe it can help to relieve and prevent constipation. Lemon juice first thing in the morning can help to detox your body after a night of digesting food.

It flushes toxins out of your body and is believed to help cleanse the liver. On top of all that, it just tastes great. It’s rereshing and gets me going in the morning!

Kids Cooking Classes – Clean Eating & Kid Friendly

Cooking is one of the best and most useful life skills we can give our kids! This recipe is the perfect way to get children excited about being in the kitchen! They will learn the following with this recipe:

• How to juice lemons
• How to substitute Maple Syrup as a natural sweetener
• How to dissolve Maple Syrup into water
• How to make a healthy alternative to sugary lemonade drinks (and they will see that natural tastes better than artificial)!

If you are looking for recipes that will pair well with Homemade Strawberry Lemonade, try these!:

Kalbi Short Ribs – Delicious Korean Recipe!

How Do You Make Tuna Salad?

How to Saute Asparagus so Your Kids Will Actually Eat It!

Stuffed Kale Wraps – aka The New Cabbage Roll

Lemon Cranberry Muffins Clean Eating Recipe

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