Cherry Oat Smoothie

Smoothies make a great breakfast staple, so easy, quick, versatile and delicious. You can keep it simple with just fruit and milk or add in greens, ‘superfood’ powders such as maca, lucuma, moringa or baobab, protein powders or, my favourite, good ol’ fashioned oats!

By adding in oats you’re boosting the fibre content and lowering the effect the fruit sugars are likely to have on your blood sugar levels (fibre slows down digestion and the absorption of carbohydrate sugars into the bloodstream). They’ll also help keep you full for longer. Some people soak their oats overnight, some cook them and others may recommend they be ground to an oat flour before blitzing with the other smoothie ingredients, personally I don’t think any of that is necessary, just stick it all, whizz up and enjoy!

I like my smoothies really thick, so much so that sucking it up the straw sometimes presents a challenge! I used just 200ml of almond milk, if you like your smoothie a little thinner simply add more milk, or even a splash of water. The addition of chia seeds in this recipe helps achieve that thick, creamy texture I’m after and, along with the flaxseeds, provides a hefty dose of B-vitamins, Omega-3 fatty acids and protein – win, win, win!

Cherry Oat Smoothie

Serves 1

200-250ml almond milk

1 banana, chopped and pre-frozen

Handful frozen, pitted cherries (about 70g)

2 tbsp oats

1 tsp flaxseeds

1 tsp chia seeds

Add the milk to the blender first (I find this helps it all blitz together better)

Add the remaining ingredients and whizz until thick, creamy and smooth then enjoy - simple as that!