Purple Rain: Blackberries, Vanilla, & Oats Smoothie

When you can’t find the time to eat oatmeal for breakfast… it’s time to drink it up! A bowl of warm oats has always been both; a health and a comfort food for me. What was standing between me and my porridge was quite simply, time. That precious and elusive little thing called “time”. We all wish we had more of it. I find it especially elusive in the morning, and I don’t have it in me to wake up extra earlier to enjoy my oats. I love them, just not that much!

For a while I used to rely on those “oatmeal to-go” bars, thinking I was doing my body a favor, when in fact, I wasn’t. The more I educate myself on food, I’ve come to understand that anything that’s processed and has added refined sugars can’t possibly be intrinsically good for you. It may be better than other possible breakfast choices out there, but it’s not nourishing your body the way oatmeal should.

A few days ago I started adding 1/3 cup of dry, old fashioned rolled oats to my smoothies. The result was an immediate change in texture and flavor. They were denser, a tad more creamy, and you could distinctively taste the oats as you were drinking them. There was no mistaking the new addition, and it was good!

I love the combination of oats and blueberries, but I had a few blackberries in my fridge that were really ripe and I decided to give it a go. Since blackberries are a bit more sour than blueberries, I added a tablespoon of raw blue agave syrup and the result was heavenly. You could also add maple syrup or raw honey, it’s entirely your choice. I am keen on maintaining all of my smoothie recipes refined-sugar free. I really do believe that once you add white sugars to smoothies, they lose their health properties. It’s like tainting something that’s naturally good, and there’s just so much wellness in the cup when you do it right.

Here’s what you will need: