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
I found out I can store spinach in the freezer and that has been a serious game-changer. Now it’s always available for smoothies! This looks delicious. I do a similar one with blackberries. I need to try oats in it!
will the oat groats give you diarrhea
Will the oat groats give you diarrhea???
I’ve made my own smoothies before, mainly as a tastier way to get 5 servings of fruit and veggies all in one go. Mine consist of 1 ripe banana, some chunks of watermelon and/or pineapple, some plain fat-free Greek yogurt, a good-sized handful of baby spinach, and a handful or 2 of whatever frozen fruit tickles my fancy that day. That’s it. No added sugar. The fruits usually provide plenty of sweetness. I may use a little bit of splenda if the fruits I’m using happened to be on the tart side. But still no added sugar.
This looks delicious! Unfortunately, I have gestational diabetes, and my dietician says I shouldn’t have juice. Is there any way I can cut back on the sugar? Do you think it might be okay with milk instead of orange juice?
You could definitely try it! 🙂
Made this for a few days and absolutely loooved it but then I would get sick soon after. A week later I found out the oj (after having it alone) apparently strikes me with morning(?) sickness this go round. Any suggestions on an alternative? Could I omit it? I wonder how it would effect the taste.
I’m willing to bet that what feels like morning sickness is acid reflux (mostly because I have severe acid reflux in my pregnancies and they feel identical; I didn’t realize that I DIDN’T still have morning sickness at 24 weeks when my new OB gave me a prescription for reflux medication).
ANYWAY. 🙂 Most juices are at least a little acidic, but OJ is pretty bad. You could play around with different non-citrus juices and see what you like. Apple, cherry, or white grape might work.
Just discovered your blog and am IN LOVE! Quick question about the smoothie — could I use a good food processor instead of a blender? Thank ya! 🙂
You could try it!
Try the smoothie very delicious….can I use it the next day…..or has be all used immediately…
My sister is pregnant, but also has Ciliacs (sp?). Is this recipe gluten-free? (Trying not to sound toooo naive lol)
I’m not sure if oats have gluten in them or not–I’d check with her because she probably know! 🙂 Otherwise, everything else is gluten-free.
This is a great smoothie. Everyone loved it. Thanks for the recipe.