Menu Musings of a Modern American Mom: Oatmeal Banana Smoothies

I am willing to bet that most parents out there have at some point had to shake their heads at a half eaten bowl of oatmeal, left in haste by the breakfast crowd who didn't want to be late for school. You don't want to throw it out. You know it's super healthy, but at this point, it has turned into this abysmal clump of "goo" that you really don't really want to deal with. You can't spackle the wall with it, so what can you do with it? Make a smoothie with it! Yes, I'm serious!!!

Blend the oatmeal up as one of the components of this super healthy and filling smoothie that YOU can grab as you are running out the door on your way to work, or to the gym. This smoothie is a great breakfast option and an excellent pre-workout shake, delivering a huge dose of protein, lots of Vitamin B-6, Omega-3's, calcium, riboflavin, lots of potassium for quick muscle recovery and the energy you need to get you through a long day at work or a tough workout. The fiber from the oats help you feel satisfied and also slows the absorption of sugar, to give you a steady supply of energy without a sudden influx of insulin. Cinnamon, in addition to being antimicrobial, is one of the oldest used Chinese remedies and has therapeutic benefits such as stabilizing your blood sugar.

I betcha next time you see that bowl of half eaten oatmeal, you're gonna remember what I said. And believe me - not only is it delicious, it's also VERY filling!!!! The other perks, are that 1.) it will take you less than 5 minutes to throw this all together in the morning, and 2.) this is all stuff you probably have already! You have to like that!

Print this Recipe!

Ingredients: (for 2 smoothies)

1 cup milk
1 ripe banana
1/2 cup cooked, cooled oatmeal*
1/4 cup slivered almonds
2 Tbsp honey (or sugar)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 cups ice

* I used my daughter's leftover Maple/Brown sugar oatmeal which is pre-sweetened. If you are using plain oatmeal, you may like to add more sweetener.

Step-by-Step:
I know I always give y'all step-by-step, but I'm sort of at a loss of what to say, because all I did was dump it all together and blend it up in my handy dandy Vitamix until it was smooth as a baby's butt! HaHa. I had some friends give me a hard time about saying that, actually. Like, "eeeuuwww, gross, who wants 'baby's butt' in their drink?!' " Well, dadgum.. y'all know what I mean.

1 cup milk. Feel free to use Silk or almond milk or whatever floats your boat!

1 ripe banana

If you froze the banana in chunks the night before, you may be able to get by without using ice cubes. Just a thought. :)

1/2 cup cooked, cooled, pre-sweetened (left over) oatmeal

1/4 cup (or a small handful) of slivered almonds

*tip - I keep my almonds in a zip top bag in the freezer.

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 Tbsp honey (or sweetener of your choice)

2 cups ice

Blend until smooth. And that's it!! These are very filling!

Here's my little barefoot fountain fairy that came out to ....assist me with the shoot. (???) But this is what what really ends up happening. The fountain fairy ends up just playing in the water. HaHa!!

I hope you enjoyed this simple and delicious recipe!
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