Plant Based Banana and Berry Oat Milk Smoothie

I’ve returned to a plant based diet recently for my own health and the planet’s, and I feel stronger and happier for it to be honest, no doubt thanks to the abundance of fruit, vegetables, slow-releasing grains and pulses, in my diet.

I’ve committed to it fairly strictly so far, however, I’m not putting pressure on myself,  I’m simply listening to my body and taking things day by day. I was vegan for a couple of years before becoming pregnant with my third child before taking a more flexitarian approach to eating, so I know life and preferences can change. Being flexible but prioritising healthy choices is key for me.

One thing my family and I favour is oat milk, a nutritious and versatile plant-based milk. We actually receive a weekly milk delivery of oat milk (along with standard cow’s milk my eldest son prefers) from Modern Milkman.

I wanted to share my delicious oat milk smoothie recipe below you can enjoy for breakfast, after a run, or simply as a filling, nutritious snack to avoid a mid-afternoon hunger slump.

You can of course, modify the smoothie adding seasonal fruit or vegetables. By using frozen fruit and veg in the smoothie, you not only save money and reduce food waste and have a cold drink to boot (there’s nothing worse than a warm smoothie) but frozen veg and fruit are frozen and packaged at the peak of ripeness making these smoothies super healthy too.

Ingredients:

Serves 4

• 100 ml oat milk
• 450g coconut yoghurt
• 1 banana
• 25g rolled oats
• 2 tsp maple syrup
• 450g frozen berries
• a pinch of cinnamon

 

Method:

In a blender, whizz the ingredients together and pour. Yum! A slow energy releaser full of vitamins and minerals. Oats contain also contains vitamin E, folates, zinc, iron, selenium, copper, manganese, carotenoids, betaine, choline and sulphur. Oats stimulate the feel good hormone, serotonin so help you feel calmer.

The banana provides you with potassium, vitamin B6, and vitamin C and the berries are bursting with antioxidants (the highest antioxidant activity of all fruit next to pomegranate) as well as potassium, magnesium, vitamins C and K, fiber, and prebiotics. The cinammon helps regulate blood sugar. In one study, researchers discovered that cinnamon cut cholesterol by approximately 18% and blood sugar levels by 24%.

 

If you liked this recipe, I’m sure you’ll also enjoy my cherry and strawberry smoothie.