There are some days you just don't want to get out of bed, days you would rather just crawl back under the covers and stay there for the foreseeable future. Of course, the last thing you want to do when you do finally drag yourself away from the warmth of your duvet is faff around making breakfast, or even eating anything particularly heavy. Or maybe that's just me! Either way, this smoothie is a great way to help reach your five a day, and gives you an energy boost whilst keeping you full until lunch.
The secret power ingredient: oats. Trust me.
Now this is really very free form. All you really need is a blender, some fruit, some oats, and away you go. It's really a matter of what you like, and leaning what ratio of solid:liquid creates the kind of texture you like. I'm a fan of thick smoothies, but not so thick you would have to use a spoon! I still want to drink it, after all.
These ingredients were turned into the smoothie pictured above, and the yield turned out to be a little too much for three people.
- Three small sweet apples, diced
- Half a mango, diced
- Six strawberries, halved
- A punnet of blueberries
- One banana, sliced
- Three medium sized handfuls of oats (I used porridge oats, but really you can go with whatever you like here...doesn't really matter what size they are, but of course a smaller milled grain will probably make for a smoother texture)
- A good dollop of dairy free ice cream (substitute for whatever ice cream you like, or even yoghurt, or even leave it out altogether since it is in no way essential)
- Pour between a third and half a cup of water in the bottom of your blender. This will just make it easier for the blades to get hold of the fruit to start the blending process, reducing the load on the motor and hopefully increasing its lifespan.
- Add all ingredients to the blender, putting soft fruits in first, and pulse until it begins to break down before blitzing until you reach a smooth consistency.
- Enjoy!
If you want your smoothie to be a little sweeter, try adding some honey or maple syrup. If you try to follow a high protein diet, you could easily add some protein powder to this mix. If, after all that, you find it too thick, just add a little more water (or milk of your choosing...if you are feeling adventurous, give almond milk a whirl) until it reaches the consistency you prefer. Like I say, the key is experimentation, so get creative and get drinking smoothies!
