Mondays are like a blank slate. When my alarm clock goes off on Monday morning I feel like the starting gun has fired and I am off and racing through the week. Monday means everything starts again in a way. You have the chance to make the coming week whatever you want. You can wake up with a whole new approach and start taking steps for the positive. Monday also means my calendar is loaded up again. Just like most people I imagine! There is work, uni, running, family and friends to catch up with, and then the dreaded housework…It’s more like an obstacle course than a race some days I think!
Like any race you need to make sure you have some healthy snacks to keep you fuelled along the way. I snack a lot. I am what my Mum calls a ‘grazer’. I just can’t go longer than 2 hours without something delicious to eat. I keep crackers and peanut butter, apples, almonds, mandarins, and cranberries in my drawer at work so that I always have something healthy to reach for when the need to munch arises. When I’m at home I snack on fruit, crackers, and sometimes cookies or cake…or leftover ice cream cake from my boyfriend’s birthday party….ahem.
On Sunday I had a delightfully big breakfast to celebrate my Mum: two slices of seeded gluten free bread with smashed avocado and feta and slow-roasted tomatoes. Delicious. Needless to say by lunch time I wasn’t feeling like too much lunch. I was feeling the need for a substantial snack that would leave some room for a cookie or three for afternoon tea after I scrubbed the oven. Don’t ask. A smoothie was the answer to my needs, and I was inspired by my cousin Grace’s tall glass of mixed berry smoothie at breakfast.
This smoothie is refreshing, cool, flavoured with blueberries, and vanilla, thickened with oats and chia seeds. It filled me up until Chris and I slurped up bowls of black bean chilli for dinner. It makes a great snack for two, or a filling but light breakfast for one. This smoothie is perfect as an after school snack for kids. Sweet, but not so much that it will have them bouncing off the walls, and filling without ruining their dinner.
Blueberry and Oat Smoothies
Makes 2 small or 1 large smoothie | Gluten Free |
Ingredients
- 1 cup ice cubes
- 1 cup frozen blueberries, not defrosted
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or dairy if preferred)
- 1/4 cup Greek style fat free yoghurt
- 1 tablespoon gluten free quick oats (or rolled oats)
- 1 teaspoon chia seed
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon raw almonds
Method
- Place all ingredients into a high-powered blender.
- Blend until smooth.
- Pour into glass/es and serve immediately.
