This recipe for Green Smoothie Overnight Oats combines two healthy breakfast trends – a smoothie bowl and overnight oats to create a nutrition-packed breakfast you prepare ahead of time
Want to know where I have been hiding lately? Well, I must admit that the Olympics have taken up much of my time over the past week. Normally I hardly watch any television, but the past week I have been glued to the television each and every night. My favorite events to watch are gymnastics and swimming (I mean who doesn’t enjoy watching Micheal Phelps win a zillion gold medals).
Before I talk about today’s recipe, I wanted to share a personal Olympic memory. Apparently, I look like an Olympian! During the 1996 Olympics, people were constantly telling me I looked like Jaycie Phelps, a member of the Women’s Gymnastics Olympic Team. At the time I didn’t see much of a resemblance, but now looking at pictures I guess I can see some similar characteristics. I was able to find a more recent picture of her and I don’t think we look alike anymore.
And now onto today’s recipe for Green Smoothie Overnight Oats. This recipe is literally two current healthy breakfast trends combined – a smoothie bowl plus overnight oats. Overnight Oats recipes are one of my favorite prep-ahead breakfast concepts. It’s simple, mix a few ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen and refrigerate overnight. In the morning a nutrition-packed breakfast is waiting for you. To change up the traditional overnight oats recipe I decided to add some spinach to this recipe in the form of a smoothie. You will need a blender for this recipe!
To prepare the recipe, blend together the spinach, strawberries, milk, yogurt, and sweetener. Once the spinach is well pureed you can remove mixture from blender and stir in the oats and chia seeds. If you want to refrain from adding any type of sweetener the strawberries provide a sufficient natural sweetness. To ensure optimal sweetness I would recommend adding some sliced strawberries on top of the overnight oats right before you are about to eat.
If you are not a fan of strawberries I am certain other fruits would work as an excellent substitution. I made a similar recipe (without the oats) for a smoothie using mango instead. The smoothie was naturally sweetened by the mango and offered a delicious flavor.
This recipe is an excellent way to add more veggies to your little one’s diet! While I don’t think sneaking vegetables into their meals is ideal, I can guarantee they will never guess spinach is in this overnight oats recipe. Plus the bright green color may entice those sweet little eyes to try this breakfast item.
Enjoy!
Your Family’s Dietitian,
- 3/4 cup low-fat milk or almond milk
- 1/4 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- 1 – cup fresh strawberries, sliced (could also use frozen)
- 1/4 cup fresh strawberries, sliced (for topping)
- 1.5 – 2 tsp honey
- 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup oats
- 2 tsp chia seeds
Connie says
Great recipe! I like that you added honey and yogurt. Yum! Do you think I can substitute other salad greens instead of spinach? Thanks!
FN says
Thanks! I think you could certainly do kale also. Might want to add a bit more milk or water though.