Kitten with a Whisk: Berry Green Breakfast Smoothie

About 5 years ago I became pretty obsessed with yogurt. I started eating it every day for breakfast and haven’t stopped since. I do change it up to keep from getting bored though. Some weeks I eat flavored yogurt and other weeks I’ll use plain yogurt and mix in fresh fruit and granola. And then there are other weeks when I make smoothies.

I think the smoothies are my favorite.

Smoothies have gotten a bit of a bad rap over the last couple of years. I view them like I do any other meal or dish – if you make it at home it will be better for you. Most chains use loads of sugar in their smoothies, and I’m not sure why because fruit is pretty sweet by itself to me.

I personally believe that there is nothing “bad” for me in this smoothie. The ingredients are healthy and have loads of nutritional benefits. This recipe is my go-to smoothie in the morning, and you probably can’t tell by the color but it has spinach in it. I also promise you that you can’t taste the spinach either. Don’t let the oats or flaxseed scare you either! The oats grind up and all that’s left are little bits here and there no bigger than the seeds from the berries. And they really make the smoothie much thicker and filling if you ask me.

One little tip about the berries. I have a firm belief that if you’re adding fruit to a smoothie then you should never need ice cubes, so go ahead and buy fresh whole frozen berries. They are just as good for you as fresh and cheaper usually. Just be sure that the only ingredient is the fruit and no added sugar. If you do buy fresh, prep them by washing and cutting the larger berries in half. Then freeze them on a cookie sheet in a single layer before tossing them in a freezer bag. This will keep them from sticking together once frozen.

Berry Green Breakfast Smoothie

*Serves 1

(printable recipe)

Ingredients:

- heaping ½ cup mixed frozen berries, such as strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries

- ¼ cup uncooked old fashioned whole grain oats

- ¾ cup low fat milk (1% in cow’s milk)

- 5-6oz Greek 0% fat yogurt, vanilla or plain*

- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed

- ½ cup packed fresh baby spinach

*Most single servings of yogurt are between 5 and 6oz, mine for example is 5.3oz. Choose plain or vanilla based on your desire for sweetness. You could also use plain yogurt and add a squeeze of honey too.

Directions:

In a blender layer the ingredients in this order: spinach, yogurt, flaxseed, oats, milk, and berries. If using a machine where the cup is inverted (such as a magic bullet) reverse the order. When you start to blend you want the heavier items (the berries) on top and the lightest (the spinach) on the bottom at the blades.