Happy Thursday, guys!
I decided to refresh this popular smoothie post this morning because in doing research for my Quarantine Cooking e-Book, it seems like everyone has hit a rut with breakfast! (P.S. Make sure you’re on the pre-launch email list so you’re the first to know when it comes out! I’ll definitely be doing some kind of special for those on my list, too!)
I will admit I go through phases of drinking smoothies a lot, and phases where I’m totally sick of them and I never want to see another smoothie again. (I’m currently in the latter phase, but I would like to start making them again, so you could say this post is also selfishly to motivate me. ????)
Smoothies are fast, convenient, delicious, a great way to pack essential nutrients into one punch. The one problem? Sometimes they leave us starving after just an hour and it seems impossible to make it until lunch!
HOWEVER, I have FOUND the solution!
This smoothie’s secret ingredient? Oats!
With the addition of oats, this smoothie has a great balance of carbs, protein, and healthy fat to keep you full until lunch. It also happens to be a delicious way to start your day–and it’s essentially drinking your coffee and eating breakfast all at the same time! OH, and it also hides a serving of veggies, too!
My “Full Until Lunch” Coffee and Banana Morning Smoothie:
1 cup milk of your choice (I usually like coconut milk. I typically like the kind in the carton because it’s shelf stable.)
1 shot of espresso (or your favorite cold brew or iced coffee.)
**Note on coffee to milk ratio**
I’ve actually made this recipe with no milk and all coffee when I was in a pinch. It’s still good. It’s definitely not AS good though. So if you’re workin with what you’ve got, you could use half cold brew half water, full amount of chilled coffee, etc. Just keep in mind that you want about one cup of liquid. How much you need will really depend on how thin you like your smoothies and how much ice you use. Remember the ice will thicken it quite a bit. Just experiment and make note of what you like and adjust based on your preferences!
1 banana, sliced (I’ll buy a bunch at once and slice them into a ziplock and them put them in the freezer! They last longer that way.) The banana is a really under the radar hero ingredient–I rarely skip bananas when making smoothies because they mask the flavor of all those other “good for you” things you throw in smoothies but don’t want to taste (like protein powder, spinach, etc.) They’re also essential for texture! Once I made this smoothie without it and it was AWFUL. Don’t skip the banana!
1 big handful of spinach (I buy prewashed in bags and throw them in the freezer!) This sounds gross, I promise, you CAN NOT taste it. This has become by FAR the easiest way to incorporate greens into my day.
1 serving of vanilla (chocolate would work well too!) protein powder of your choice.
2 TBS serving of no sugar added peanut butter–make sure you’re paying attention to the sugar content when you buy peanut butter–a lot of products sneak it in there even if they’re labeled “natural.”
About 1/4 cup of rolled oats.
You can add more if you like, but I think this is a good place to start. If you taste your smoothie and think you can handle more oats, add a bit more! Also, make sure they’re rolled (not steel cut) because they’ll result in a smoother texture. Instant oats can work in a pinch but I wouldn’t recommend it as they taste decidedly more chalky. Bleh!
If you plan ahead, you can also soak the oats overnight in a bit of milk. I’ve read this makes them smoother and results in a less chalky smoothie! It might sound weird taste-wise. The oats make this smoothie taste like an oatmeal cookie and go a long way in filling you up!
A few sprinkles of cinnamon. This is optional but I think this really adds a lot and makes it taste like an oatmeal cookie!
About 5 ice cubes. You may need more if the espresso you’re pouring into the smoothie is hot (because it will melt the ice a little). If so, add a few more. You can always throw in more at the end too if it’s not cold enough or you want it thicker!
2 TBS ground flax seeds and/or 1 TBS chia seeds: I always add as much good stuff to my smoothies as I can! This is totally optional. I don’t think the flax tastes like anything at all but I do think more than 1 TBS of chia seeds makes it taste slightly bitter with a weird aftertaste, but that’s just me. I’m kind of weird. You do you!
Happy breakfasting!
