Children learn to make a vegan smoothie with bananas, mangoes and a topping of cereals and nuts.
Breakfasts before the morning rush to school need not be a dreaded or hurried ritual if one learns to make a healthy smoothie like a group of schoolgirls from India International School Sharjah learnt at the cookery workshop “Smoothie Bowls” during the 43rd edition of the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF), happening at Expo Centre Sharjah.
The girls sat around tables set with a small battery-operated blender for each of them, and fruits and cereals to go with it. They first cut half a banana into smaller pieces and blended it with frozen mangoes and coconut milk, giving the blender an occasional good shake to make it blend well. Some of them added honey for extra sweetness. Once the fruits formed a pale yellow pulp, they poured it into a paper cup and topped it with almonds, peanuts, chocolate and honey granola, linseeds and chia seeds.
“If you do not find it sweet enough, you can add honey but then it will not be vegan anymore,” said Stefania, who along with Michelle, Ola and Intissar from Skilldeer, the online skill development company that helps both children and adults hone their skills and hobbies, are running the cookery workshop.
The hands-on workshop encourages creativity and teaches kids the importance of making healthy food choices in a fun and delicious way.
SIBF 2024, which will run until November 17, has opened its doors to over 2,520 publishers from 112 countries, and is celebrating Morocco as the Guest of Honour. The 12-day cultural extravaganza, organised by the Sharjah Book Authority, is themed ‘It Starts with a Book’, and has in store 1,357 activities for children and adults alike. SIBF 2024 is presenting a comprehensive programme of 600 workshops for various age groups, including 465 sessions for adults and children and 135 for early childhood, covering heritage, media, entrepreneurship, technology, environment, arts, life skills, and creative writing.