THE ULTIMATE BREAKFAST SMOOTHIE
Everything you need for the day in one jam-packed smoothie.
Coffee- Coffee contains polyphenols that acts as a prebiotic for your microbiota, and is a great source of antioxidants. Combine these great nutrient benefits with the taste, smell and energy coffee provide and you’ll be sure to dream about this breakfast in your sleep (welcome to my world).
Oats- Oats in your morning breakfast, or oat flour in this case, have been shown to provide a myriad of health benefits including improving energy levels & mental performance, assist weight management, reduce risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease, increases vitamin & mineral intake, lower risk of obesity and CVD.
Cacao- Besides from making everything chocolate flavoured (yum), cacao is rich source of polyphenols, especially flavanols which have potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Cacao is also suggested to help lower blood pressure and the risk of neurodegenerative diseases, while improving mood and symptoms of depression. It’s no wonder we all crave it.
Banana- Not only does banana enhance the sweetness and balance out cacao’s bitterness in this smoothie, it is of course an excellent source of potassium- helping to manage blood pressure, assist muscle contraction and reduce the risk of kidney stones; Fibre- supporting heart and digestive health, and blood glucose management; and tryptophan & lectin- preserving memory loss and lowering risk of leukaemia.
Almond Butter- High in unsaturated fat, fibre, protein, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, shown to lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease, prevent oxidative damage in the body, manage blood sugar levels, promote bone health, and assist in weight management. What more could you want in a smoothie?
Protein Powder- Getting enough protein as a vegan is extremely easy to achieve, but for those wishing to increase their intake slightly, introducing a vegan protein powder is a perfect option to consider. Some protein powders can be a little bitter however, and just drinking them solely can be a little hard to digest. This is why I love using it in this smoothie- it adds to both the thickness, nutrient content, and gives an enjoyable way to consume the supplement.
TEAM SPOONABLE OR DRINKABLE?
This smoothie was designed to thick and spoonable, but I understand this texture may not be for everyone. Lucky for you, this recipe is super easy to manipulate to become drinkable like any regular smoothie; simply add extra liquid.
Thick Smoothie
My top tip for creating a super thick smoothie is to (1) be patient with your blender and resist the urge to add extra liquid if its struggling. The best thing to do is remove the blender from its base and manually mix the contents around, then place it back on the power and blend again. Repeat this until it’s smooth. Alternatively, if you have a blender with an insertable mixer, such as a vitamix, use this once it begins to struggle.
(2) Leave the smoothie to rest overnight in the fridge before eating. This will not only make it cold and freshing to eat/drink, it will also give the oat flour chance to absorb it’s surrounding liquids and firm up into a thick, spoonable moose-like dessert.
Drinkable Smoothie
To make this smoothie drinkable, simply add 150ml-200ml extra milk during blending, or until it becomes the consistency you like. Bear in mind however, if you are planning to leave the smoothie overnight, it will still naturally thicken, just not to the same degree as the ‘thick smoothie’. If you want to enjoy your smoothie straight away, try adding in some ice cubes to your blender before blending so that it is ice cold without needing to refrigerate it before enjoying.
HOW TO SERVE YOUR BREAKFAST SMOOTHIE
Top your smoothie with crunchy granola. Granola is unbelievable perfect with thick smoothies; adding subtle crunch to a smooth base. I recommend topping your smoothie with a complementary flavoured granola like my Crunchy Chocolate Hazelnut Granola, and only doing this when opting for a thick smoothie rather than a watery one as the granola will only sink to the bottom as opposed to sitting on top.
Freshly sliced banana or a handful of blueberries. I specifically recommend banana and blueberries because they both really compliment the flavours of this smoothie. Just an extra handful of each or either on the day of eating will add just the right amount of chewy and soft texture to the smooth and creamy base.
Lashings of nut butter or freshly chopped nuts. You can’t go wrong with extra nut butter. Ever. Add this before you place it in the fridge and it will congeal and thicken with the cold temperatures, or slather it on top on the day of eating and it will add varying creamy texture and a little bit of creamy warmth with each spoonful. Chopped nuts are also perfect for adding gorgeous crunch; much like the granola.
HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN ULTRA-FINE OATS
Granted ultra-fine oats do help to give this smoothie an ‘ultra’ smooth texture, but you don’t have to go out and buy any if you don’t want to.
You can make your own right at home with just some regular porridge oats and a blender! Simply place the oats into the blender along with all the other ingredients as you normally would, or to make it even smoother, blend the oats separately and then sieve them to remove any course particles and then proceed with the recipe.
