I originally shared this recipe for what I cheesily dubbed a “power smoothie” back in 2012 when I was pregnant with my youngest. 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! This smoothie is packed with nutrition and has real staying power that won’t leave you with a sugar crash and starving two hours later. It’s a great way to start the day!
Ingredients Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
- Orange juice – Use a good-quality not-from-concentrate variety for best results. I’d avoid shelf-stable bottles or frozen concentrate for this one.
- Steel cut oats – Or oatmeal. 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. If you like, you can combine the orange juice and oats the night before and store them in the fridge to soften.
- Greek yogurt – Full fat or 2%, plain and unsweetened. Make sure it’s true Greek yogurt that’s twice the protein of traditional yogurt, not just Greek-style which just has added thickeners.
- Frozen blueberries
- Baby spinach leaves – You won’t even taste the spinach at the end but it adds important nutrients!
- Crushed ice
How to Make Kate’s Power Smoothie
- Simply combine everything in a high powered blender and blend. I use the smoothie setting on my Blendtec, which handles it well, but you may need to run it through twice.
Storing and Other Tips
- This smoothie is best enjoyed right away!
Frequently Asked Questions
Not really. You could measure out your orange juice and oats the night before and leave them in your blender pitcher in the fridge overnight, but everything else should be added and blended when you’re ready to enjoy your smoothie!
Definitely! As written this recipe makes two servings. Feel free to cut it in half for one or scale up, as long as the ingredients fit in your blender!
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
- ¾ cup 2% or full-fat plain Greek yogurt
- 1 ½ cups frozen blueberries
- 3 cups baby spinach leaves
- 1 ½ 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.
Questions & Reviews
I am having one of these for breakfast right now and oh wow it is so delish!!! I’ve never had a smoothie with spinach but I decided to give it a try and I’m so glad I did! We’ll see how long it keeps me full, I only have 5 weeks left of pregnancy and hoping this will help with the I’m starving but can only eat a small amount then starving again in an hour problem. Thanks!!!
I’ve been meaning to try the smoothie thing forever. This looks like a great recipe. Just a side note- it’s my understanding that spinach contains quite a bit of estrogen, so if you are going to have it everyday – you might want to add a variation of greens…
Could you grind Oat Groats in the wheat grinder? I have never tried that but am wondering if that would work? I have a NutriMill and would think it would work …
I would double-check the manual of your grinder first, but I imagine it would be fine! 🙂
I made this smoothie for lunch today and it was yummy, very filling, and my 2 year old loved it, too! I had a little leftover steel cut oats from b’fast that I had cooked overnight in the crock pot so I used that. The consistency was nice, not gritty at all. Will definitely make this again!!
Kate, I love this! I am also pregnant and struggle with finding things to eat for breakfast that sound good. (everything sounds gross to me right now) This is great for me because it has all the calories I need since I usually loose weight in my first trimester. I also love because I can sip on it throughout the morning!
Thank you so much for this post!! I, too, am pregnant and have been struggling with what to eat in the mornings and never getting enough protein! I made this today, and felt like a million bucks all morning! Thank you and I hope you are feeling well! 🙂 CONGRATS!
This is perfect timing; really! I was thinking to myself this morning, “what can I add to my kids’ breakfast smoothies that will sustain them longer?” Then I jumped on here tonight to check the bacon-in-the-oven directions and viola! There was a smoothie! With SPINACH and OAT GROATS (and yes it IS fun to say)! Who knew? You gals are SO TOTALLY the best ever! Thanks for this 🙂
Ok, so this looks amazing! And, although I’m not pregnant I still crash if my breakfast is too sugary. You know I’m not a breakfast fan, but I love a good smoothie! Maybe this will be the magic breakfast I’ve been looking for! Thank you friend! 🙂
What is the difference between steel cut oats and regular oatmeal? Can I use regular oatmeal in this smoothie?
I tried another smoothi with spinach and loved it! I’d love to try this recipe too…thanks for sharing.
Well. I only have six weeks to go in the bun in the oven department. This looks yummy and a great idea for something nutritious that won’t feel bulky since I have no room inthe middle anymore for food but this little guy is hungry! Plus I am a sucker for frozen blueberries and a little extra spinach never hurts a pregnant women’s messed up digestion