Blueberry oatmeal smoothie

Oatmeal and blueberries are the perfect combination, and this blueberry oatmeal recipe is a winner because it is super easy to make and can be packed to-go.

You can combine both ingredients in a gazillion different ways.

You can cook the oatmeal and then add the blueberries on top, you can bake the blueberry oatmeal in the oven (yes, that is a thing!), you can cook the blueberries with the oatmeal on the stove…

This recipe blends raw instant oats with frozen (or fresh) blueberries to achieve the consistency of a smoothie; make it frozen, or even into a nice cream, if you have a powerful blender.

Jump to RECIPE & INGREDIENTS | ABOUT | BENEFITS | WHY I LIKE THIS RECIPE | VARIATIONS | MAKE IT <250KCAL

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About blueberries and their origin

Almost 90% of the world’s blueberries are grown in the US which is why you may notice the packet you buy at your local supermarket states this as the country of origin. This is because this wild berry was domesticated there by a scientist called Coville in 1910 and commercially harvested in 1916.

He discovered that the plant did not want god soil and care but rather a very acidic one, and from there blueberries were domesticated and grown with the help of another scientist, Elisabeth White. The story of this berry’s commercial origins is quite fascinating and also contributed to its current status as a beloved fruit packed with health benefits.

Fun fact: Blueberries are green/white inside, see the image above.

As you probably guessed, wild blueberries are originally from North America and were enjoyed and used for medicinal purposes by Native Americans. Once the fruit was domesticated, bushes were exported to the rest of the world, in particularly northern Europe, Australia, New Zealand and South America.

The tiny fruits have become so popular that they are even planted in the White House kitchen garden.

There are lots of other berry varieties that are colloquially referred to as blueberry in Europe because of their skin or fruit color, but they are technically different fruits. Blueberries are blue-purple outside and pale green-white inside. If you ever cut one of the berries in the middle you will find small seeds.
 

The benefits of blueberries, oatmeal and this recipe

Blueberries are the star of this dish.

You could argue for oatmeal to be, but trust me, it’s the blueberries which give it the flavor and the color, oatmeal is just a way to thicken the oatmeal and give it a smooth consistency.

Blueberries are a favorite partner to oatmeal and one of the best fruits there is.  They are also one of the few fruits that are blue (or purpleish).

Did you know blue (or purple) fruits are really hard to find in nature? 

Red, yellow and orange are commonplace colors for fruits in nature but very few fruits and vegetables are truly blue. I bet you never wondered why and now are asking!

So here you go.

There is an evolutionary reason for this to be the case. Science tells us that the color blue is not as easily recognised among the foliage of nature by animals as read or orange might be and this has limited the natural cross-pollination and expansion of these fruits. If animals don’t see them, they don’t eat them and, as a result, they don’t spread the seeds in nature, this propagating their growth.

Unfortunately, many animals cannot spot the blue color as easily as the red which is the most prevalent color in fruit. If you were wondering why there are still a few blue fruits around this is because some animals are color blind and eat whatever they find regardless of color.

So that’s today’s trivia for you. Now, onto the benefits of blueberries and this beautiful blueberry oatmeal smoothie.

Blueberries are one of the most hyped fruits there is and also one of the most studied. Their color blue is given by anthocyanin which is the source of fantastic antioxidants that have a wealth of benefits for your health, from improving your memory to helping you fight cancer. But even if we leave these antioxidants aside, blueberries are one of the best fruits to have for breakfast.

They are low in calories (half the amount of mangoes for example), have low sugar (just 10%) and are high in fiber.

And just for fun, let me add another benefit: apparently blue foods are an appetite suppressant. This is because it is not a common color for food and our brains associate it with danger. if you stare at blueberries for long enough you might lose you appetite. Just kidding 🙂

So, blueberries are great but, what about the recipe as a whole? You’ll get a quarter of your daily needs of protein, fiber and calcium.

 

What I love about this blueberry oatmeal smoothie

It’s incredibly easy and fool-proof, you can make it with the simplest of blenders. 

Yep, this deliciously healthy blueberry oatmeal recipe requires no preparation and is ready in under 5 min with frozen fruit that is available year round and natural sweeteners (dates) instead of sugar. The consistency is so smooth and luscious you won’t believe there is no sugar (you can thank the dates for that!). Once you try it once, you will want to make it over and over again.

It also makes for a great way to drink oats. For those who do not like the pasty texture of cooked oatmeal, this is an alternative way to enjoy this affordable and healthy cereal without having to munch, just drink it with a straw.

Because it is essentially a drink, you can pack it to go so you have a great breakfast ready in minutes. You could even make it on Sunday evening for the week, freeze it in your favorite take away cup and leave it on the kitchen counter when you get up. It should thaw in about 30-40min at room temperature and will be ready, and chilled, by the time you hit the office.
 

Recipe: Blueberry oatmeal smoothie

This fool-proof blueberry oatmeal smoothie recipe uses basic ingredients and you just need to pour them into a blender to make the smoothie.

If the dates are a bit dry and you have a regular blender, soak them in water for 5min like I did. A powerful blender will be able to deal with it otherwise. 

Yield: 1 Glass

Blueberry oatmeal smoothie

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Deliciously creamy blueberry oatmeal smoothie that is ready to go and takes no time to prepare. This year-round recipe is packed with energy and vitamins and is so colorful.

You can top it with granola and fruits for a really filling meal or blend it smoothly so you can drink it, its silky texture is addictive!

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Ingredients

• 3 tbsp Instant oats
• 1 Activia Low fat yogurt
• 1/2 cup Blueberries
• 1 Date
• 1 Yogurt
• 1 tbsp Peanut butter
• 3 Ice cubes

Instructions

1. SOAK: Soak the date for just 5min in plain water sp it softens. If you don't have time, the dates are still soft and you have a powerful blender you can skip this step.
2. BLEND: Make sure the date is pitted, pour all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve with the topping as in the image or with any fruits, granola, nuts or seeds.

Notes

Adjust the sweetness: If you do not have dates, you can use any natural sweetener you have at home. I like the honey-like flavor of the dates, a fruit that I grew fond of while living in the Middle East, but honey, coconut sugar, agave syrup or stevia will work as will plain sugar. You can add more or less depending on how sweet you want the smoothie to be. I do not like very sweet smoothies so one date was enough for me but many of you might like to make it two or even 3.

Make it nice-cream: You can easily make this smoothie frozen by replacing the almond milk with more ice cubes. I also like to make almond milk ice cubes for my smoothies.

Toppings: You can top the smoothie with nuts and seeds for an even more complete breakfast. I like crushed walnuts and fresh blueberries but in this case I topped it with a dollop of coconut cream, fresh blueberries and blackberries and home made white chocolate granola with cranberries.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

1

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 546Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 22mgSodium: 318mgCarbohydrates: 84gFiber: 5gSugar: 67gProtein: 24g

Values may vary depending on ingredients and brands used.

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Possible variations to this blueberry oatmeal smoothie

This recipe has very few ingredients but you can change things up a bit to achieve a similar outcome. Here are a few creative ideas to try:

• Sugar: If you do not have dates you can use any other natural sweetener, or just sugar. The flavor will change a bit but it will still be yum. Honey is one of the closest alternatives to dates. You can also up the amount of dates if you want to make it sweeter, one date was enough for me but I do not have a very sweet tooth.
• Oatmeal: I used instant oatmeal because it is softer and goes best with this to provide a smooth texture but you can also use regular rolled oats. It would be best to let them soak overnight with a bit of water so they are softer when you blend them, else the smoothie might have a bit of a dusty taste and not be as smooth.
• Coconut yogurt: Try using coconut yogurt or any other vegan alternative if you want to make this smoothie dairy-free. You could also use almond milk or water to replace the yogurt entirely but the smoothie will lose some of the creaminess. I used Activia because of its great probiotic qualities. 
• Go nuts: I used peanut butter because it is the most widely available but any nut butter will provide the same creaminess and nutty flavor. Almond or walnut will work as well. Or if you have a professional blender, throw in some raw nuts, macadamia or Brazil nuts would bring a great creamy texture.
• Add protein: Want to make this breakfast high in protein? Add a scoop of your favorite protein powder and a splash of water to keep the consistency. If you add too much you might end up with a really thick smoothie that will need a spoon.
• Nice cream: Turn this blueberry oatmeal recipe into an amazing nice-cream in your professional blender by using frozen yogurt or adding a few ice cubes.

 

Make this recipe with <250 kcal

You are about 130 kcal above 250 for this recipe, but you can easily reduce the amount:

• Reduce 50 Kcal: Replace the date with a tablespoon of brown sugar. Dates are very caloric.
• Reduce 50-70 kcal: Use unsweetened almond milk or a low calorie/low-sugar yogurt instead of Activia.
• Reduce 70 kcal: Reduce the amount of peanut butter to a teaspoon.

So, to make this recipe 250kcal you should replace the date and yogurt or reduce the peanut butter and replace the yogurt.