We all know that starting the day with energy sets the tempo for your mood and brain power, but sometimes chewing through a hearty bowl of muesli or tackling a plate of scrambled eggs just feels like too much work. Especially those early morning school starts with my boys. I bought some very cute smoothie/shake mugs with lids recently and they relish the informal, easy and nourishing smoothie option. We don’t do it every day, I always believe in variety – but I would say 2-3 mornings a week they have a liquid breakfast. I am also a total convert to the “Forever Straw” which I saw at the Good Food & Wine Show recently. They come in a neat hessian pack with a cleaner (are dishwasher safe) and I keep one in my bag at all times now – say NO to plastic people!!!!
The two options they favour are Banana & Peanut Butter and a “Berry Blast” concoction (Will share next week) . They are both whole food smoothies – perfectly nutritious, full of good fats and protein and and easy way to start the day.
Both boys love to chop the fruit and press the button on my blender, and I do think it’s important that they know what goes into the smoothie. At some stage soon they should be old enough to do this themselves entirely… might even buy me a few minutes more Zzzzzz 🙂
I always make sure I have frozen chopped banana in the freezer and when I buy bananas I purposefully buy to eat – and also to freeze. This has been an invaluable tip as it means I can whip up a multitude of desserts at the last minute (like my Tahini, honey banana nicecream).
Ingredients
Serves 2
- 1/4 cup old-fashioned whole rolled oats
- 1 cup natural organic yogurt
- 2 banana, cut into thirds (fresh or frozen – texture will be better if from frozen)
- 2-3 full Tbsps of sugar free smooth peanut butter (I like Nature’s Choice)
- 2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup (you don’t need to add this – unless your kids have a serious sweet tooth – and then start with 2 and cut it down slowly over time)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla paste or extract
- 1 cup milk or plant based milk of your choice.
- 1 tsp Chia Seeds
Directions:
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In a blender, combine all ingredients and blend. If you didn’t use frozen bananas then add some ice to cool it down as the blades and friction will naturally heat it up and no one wants a warm smoothie!
You could also add raw cacao to make it chocolatey 🙂
ENJOY!
