Strawberry Banana Next Day Oats Smoothie

On my search for low-cal breakfast delicacies I kept coming across a common recipe.  Each a tad different here and there, but the main idea was all the same... cold oatmeal.  Yeah, I know you're thinking the same thing I did, "What's so great about cold oatmeal?"  I'll let you in on the secret... NOTHING!  To be honest, all those overnight oats recipes blow.  Anyone who says different, they must be kidding themselves.

So the premise behind this morning pick me up is taking something I feel is very mediocre (albeit a healthy breakfast choice) and just turning it into something that perhaps with everything it has going for it, really marries together into a mouth happy texture that is both delicious, and good for you.

Your basic Next Day Oats are typically made in a mason jar, or large mouth cup.  I generally use the latter.  Toss in your oats, a little milk, perhaps a little cinnamon sugar and some raisins.  Stir it up well, plastic wrap the top and leave it in the fridge until the next morning.  What you'll wake up to is exactly what hot water and about 30 seconds with the oats will get you in the real world... only cold.  Mm hmm, that's right, Next Day Oats are still just oatmeal, it just takes longer.

Now that you have your "yummy" cold oatmeal, toss it into a blender and add some banana and a few strawberries.  Whip that bad boy up and now, now  you have something worthy of your pallet.  In a fiendish display of whirling mayhem that blah, sad cup of oats truly got called up from the minors and is ready to whisk you off to flavor town.

Strawberry Banana Next Day Oats Smoothie
Servings: 1 • Serving Size: 1  • Calories: 181 • Fat: 3.9 g • Carbs: 31.5 g • Fiber: 3.4 g • Protein: 7 g • Sugar: 15.2 g  Sodium: 58 mg

• 1/4 cup quick oats (or old fashioned rolled if you prefer)
• 1/2 cup 2% milk
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/4 small banana
• 5 ea strawberries

Note: Now you may notice in my pictures what looks like raisins and cinnamon in my cup.  Well look at you being making the observation.  It's true though.  I was experimenting and taking pictures at the same time.  Making a cinnamon raisin oat smoothie is another good choice, though I have an issue thinking I'm drinking cinnamon raisin bread batter or something.  The recipe is for the Strawberry Banana version, and it will come out a tad dirty pink color.  Next time I make one I'll snap a few images and add it back to this post.

For a low-moderate salicylate version, try using vanilla soy milk and substitute the strawberries for 1/4an apple, or maybe some mango, and be sure to use the rolled oats.  For you who want to shave a few more calories feel free to experiment with your fruit blend and throwing in some soy or almond milk.  What versions have you made?  Please comment and send pics!

By all means, continue on with your morning cup cold blandness.  If I want oatmeal, you better bet it's going to be the hot variety, and thick as paste.  But take a chance on something a little heartier than your average fruit smoothie, you won't just have me to thank,  you're heart health will be thanking you as well.

Images in this post taken with iPhone 4.  Please feel free to reproduce them as you see fit.