I originally shared this recipe for what I cheesily dubbed a “power smoothie” back in 2012 when I was pregnant with my youngest (who turns 8 and the end of June, and I’m fine, I’m fine, I’m FINE, thanks for asking.) I still love it, but the pictures needed a makeover and the recipe needed some slight tweaking (I cut down on the sugar and upped the fat a little to balance out the macros). If it’s too tart for you, feel free to add a little drizzle of honey or agave! Read more after the recipe!
Kate's Power Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 cup orange juice preferably the good stuff, like the not-from-concentrate orange juice
- 2 tablespoons steel cut oats or oatmeal
- 3/4 cup 2% or full-fat plain Greek yogurt
- 1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries
- 3 cups baby spinach leaves
- 1 1/2 cups crushed ice
Instructions
- Combine ingredients in the jar of your blender and blend. You will probably need to run it through twice. Serve immediately.
- Makes 1 giant smoothie, 2 smaller smoothies, or 3 snack-sized smoothies.
Notes
nutrition information (for 2 servings using 2% greek yogurt):
Calories: 211Fat: 3
Carbs: 36
Sugar: 22
Fiber: 7
Protein: 12 This also has 211% of your Vitamin A, 116% of your Vitamin C, 37% Calcium, and 19% of your iron--not too bad for a snack! Tip: To help your blender out, you can soak the oak groats in the orange juice overnight (either in the jar of your blender or in in a glass). This will make it easier to blend and will also eliminate a lot of the grittiness from the oats.
step in the way-back machine to 2012
Yeah, I know, that’s probably the cheesiest recipe title ever written. I’m sorry. I generally have a zero-tolerance policy for cheesiness. And yet…here we are. This smoothie and I have a special relationship and like all special relationships, there’s room for a little PDA, right, schnookie wookums?
I’m also trying really, really hard not to make every single one of my posts about being pregnant because I realize that the world is not pregnant with me and I also realize the world does not revolve around my pregnancy and me (unlike my first pregnancy when it did–just ask my sister Annie.)
That said, food and pregnancy are inextricably related, at first for the aversions and then for the cravings. Throw in the fact that, at least for me, a little too much salt, sugar, or fat can send a perfectly good day to a very bad place and I spend a lot of time thinking about food (and, let’s face it, I think about food a lot to begin with).
When I’m growing babies (let’s see how many euphemisms for “pregnancy” I can come up with in a single blog post), breakfast is a tricky meal for me. I need a lot of calories, I need them fast, I need complex carbs and protein, and I hate eggs. Also, I’m dead tired and trying to get two kids up, dressed, fed, not looking like orphans, and sent to school with a decent lunch as well as trying to get a dog to do her business rather than be distracted by the mean neighborhood cats that like to taunt her.
breakfast while gestating a human
I’ve dabbled in different breakfast options here and there, but most things either leave me feeling weighed down, starving, crashing, or filled with inexplicable road rage an hour later when I’m on my way home after taking my kids to school. (Sidenote: my husband just loves gestating Kate. I do believe I’m painting a lovely picture of myself right now).
So anyway, I started making this power smoothie a few weeks ago and it has changed my life. Totally not being overly dramatic here. I’ve tinkered with proportions and I still do from time to time, depending on how I’m feeling and what I’m in the mood for. No, it’s not super low in calories or sugar (although it’s not an over-the-top dessert smoothie made with ice cream or sherbet or frozen yogurt). Yes, it has a juice base, which I realize is not super cool or hip in the smoothie-making universe, and yet…I don’t really care. It does, however, keep me satisfied, energized, and feeling really great for a good three hours (at least). Like…it makes me feel like my batteries have been charged. (Yes, I know, we’re moving back into cheesy territory).
If I make and drink a full-sized smoothie (I usually cut it down by at least 1/3), it has 6 grams of fat, 14 grams of fiber, 24 grams of protein, and is loaded with potassium, Vitamin C, folate, calcium, and iron. It has a serving of dairy, 3 vegetable servings, and 4 servings of fruit (plus some change). Not too shabby, plus it’s freaking delicious. (On the downside, a whole smoothie has quite a bit of sugar…this smoothie is designed to serve 2).
how to make it
So what’s in this magical concoction of a power smoothie? Orange juice (try and get the good stuff, like the not-from-concentrate good stuff, not necessarily the fresh-squeezed good stuff, which you are often required to pay for with your firstborn child), 2% or whole plain Greek yogurt (I love Fage; make sure it’s actual Greek yogurt with twice the protein, not Greek-style yogurt that uses thickening agents), frozen blueberries, baby spinach, crushed ice, and steel cut oats.
Steel cut oats are loaded with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and help stabilize your blood sugar. They help keep you feeling full and satisfied. Plus, you don’t have to cook them, which is always a bonus in the morning. You don’t have to use them, and they will add a grainy texture to your smoothie, but I don’t mind it–the oats are sweet and they make me feel like I’m tangibly doing something good for myself, like running on the treadmill or giving up Teen Mom (neither one of which I’ve done lately).
In the jar of your blender, add your juice, 
oats (you can actually do this the night before; soaking them will make them less grainy).
yogurt, blueberries,
spinach (you can’t even taste it, I promise), and ice.
Should we talk about this ice for a second? I hated our freezer ice machine (Louisiana water is terrible, but my freezer icemaker is unfiltered. Throw in the fact that my ice always tasted like freezer because it was exposed in the freezer and I never used my ice because it was gross). I finally got this Igloo countertop ice machine from Sam’s Club. I still have to transfer the ice to the freezer, but I can store it in a freezer bag and only make it when I need it, so old ice doesn’t sit in my freezer for weeks. I thought it was silly at the time, but it’s seriously probably my favorite kitchen appliance right now!
Anyway. Blend thoroughly–my Blendtec handles it well on the smoothie setting, but you may have to run it through twice.
This is a serious smoothie. Take it with you when you drive your kids to school. Road rage crises will be averted.
(These bamboo straws come from Grove, which is hands-down my favorite place to get natural cleaning, home, and beauty products!
Kate's Power Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 cup orange juice preferably the good stuff, like the not-from-concentrate orange juice
- 2 tablespoons steel cut oats or oatmeal
- 3/4 cup 2% or full-fat plain Greek yogurt
- 1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries
- 3 cups baby spinach leaves
- 1 1/2 cups crushed ice
Instructions
- Combine ingredients in the jar of your blender and blend. You will probably need to run it through twice. Serve immediately.
- Makes 1 giant smoothie, 2 smaller smoothies, or 3 snack-sized smoothies.
Notes
nutrition information (for 2 servings using 2% greek yogurt):
Calories: 211Fat: 3
Carbs: 36
Sugar: 22
Fiber: 7
Protein: 12 This also has 211% of your Vitamin A, 116% of your Vitamin C, 37% Calcium, and 19% of your iron--not too bad for a snack! Tip: To help your blender out, you can soak the oak groats in the orange juice overnight (either in the jar of your blender or in in a glass). This will make it easier to blend and will also eliminate a lot of the grittiness from the oats.
Questions & Reviews
have you ever frozen this? Made 2 normal sized smoothies, drank one and froze the other for the next day? curious if this would work…
Thanks!
I had a few modifications to this recipe. At my local grocery store I wasn’t able to find oat grains.. so I substituted the oats out for Bear Naked Peak Flax – Oats and Honey w/ Blueberries. (Which is 100% natural granola) and I used the Chobani Vanilla Greek Yogurt 0%. After I had blended this, I realized I didn’t used the recommended amount of yogurt ..I had read my hand writing wrong and used 1/4 not 3/4. So it probably would have been a bit more creamier had I of used the larger amount. Even though, it was still the best spinach smoothie I’ve had yet! Super Delicious! 😀
I keep forgetting to add the greek yogurt and I always have this in my frig!! But I do occasionally add some frozen strawberries to this mix. Ever since I saw this I have been making it for either breakfast or a snack at night to fight the munchies! Thanks for sharing!!
Oh and I occasionally throw in some ground flaxseed too to get some omega threes in. I typically mix my stash of ground flaxseed into pancakes or baked goods
I had mine this morning….. Minus the groats. I put fresh squeezed OJ and it was really good! I couldn’t taste the spinach. Thank you
our whole family lives off smoothies for breakfast…I give myself full credit for getting at least 2 servings of vegetables into my family before 9am. I put the ingredients in the blender the night before and just stick the pitcher in the fridge. Then it only takes about 30 seconds to make breakfast in the morning! Don’t worry, nothing wilts…I’ve been using spinach and kale in our smoothies for years and it’s all still fresh tasting in the morning.
I’ve calculated in the 400-450 range. Someone else got the 350 range, but fewer nutrients. I really think it depends on what software you use.
This sounds wonderful – I’m just venturing into the world of smoothies – for me and for my kids – how many calories does this have per serving?
Had to pop in to say this is delish with kale (no spinach on hand) and that I froze the other half then defrosted on the “juice” setting the next day and it was perfect – like new. My pregnant digestion wasn’t so happy with it later, but I’m going to tweak to see what works. Good stuff!
I made this smoothie this morning. It was enough for my husband and I. I loved it. It was very nutritious-tasting. And even though I only had half the recipe it still kept me full for 3 hours. I put some oats (like normal oats that you use for oatmeal) in it and that was good. I only ran it on the whole juice button once because of this. I was so excited that I was eating so many healthy things all at once, so easily, in a smoothie. Thank you for sharing this!
I love smoothies with spinach. FYI, pineapple is a wonderful addition.