Strawberry Banana Oat Smoothie

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Safeway. All opinions are 100% mine.

This strawberry banana oat smoothie is packed full of juicy strawberries, sweet bananas, and the natural goodness of oats via oat milk and oat milk yogurt. Both dairy free and added sugar free, it’s a healthy way to start your day.

One of my favorite things about incorporating smoothies into my day is that it’s an easy way to add more fruits, vegetables, and other plant-based products into my diet.

Which is especially important after the indulgences of the holiday season, when fresh is on the menu. With a new start for a new year, this strawberry banana oat smoothie is quickly becoming one of my favorites.

Like most strawberry banana smoothies it’s got your basic blend of strawberries and bananas. To make it extra special (and dairy-free), we swap dairy-based milk and yogurt for oat milk and yogurt.

A healthy New Year starts with Safeway

Plant-based products aren’t just good for your health, they are also good for the environment. Whether you are swapping the chicken on your salad for tofu, trading the beef in your burger for a plant-based patty, or substituting the dairy milk in your coffee for an oat version, Safeway has hundreds of delicious plant-based offerings.

I shop for high-quality, plant-based products at my local Safeway, but you can also find them at the Albertsons Companies family of stores, including Albertsons, ACME Markets, Jewel-Osco, Vons, Randalls, Shaw’s Supermarket, Star Market, and Tom Thumb.

Shop in store or order online with Grocery Delivery or DriveUp & Go™ for more convenient ways to shop!

Smoothie Basics

Making a smoothie is as simple as tossing ingredients into the blender pitcher and letting it do the work. The harder part is deciding what goes into the pitcher. At the most basic level, this is what should go into your smoothie:

• fruits and/or vegetables
• liquids
• protein
• add-ins (optional)

The fruits and vegetables make up the bulk of the smoothie, adding fiber and flavor. Fresh or frozen options work. Using part frozen fruit makes for a thicker texture that stays colder longer. Keep in mind the power of your blender before trying to process any fruit that is frozen solid.

The liquids help to thin out the pureed fruits and vegetables. Options like coconut water will add a nutrient boost, juice can add sweetness, and milks (dairy or non-dairy) add a creamy texture.

Protein slows down digestion a bit and gives your smoothie the power to keep you satisfied longer. I prefer my protein boost to come from yogurt or nut butters, but protein powders also work well in smoothies.

Add-ins are optional but they give you room to play with both the nutritional aspects and the final smoothie flavor.

Strawberry banana oat smoothie add-ins

In the culinary world if baking is more of a science and cooking is a balance between science and art, smoothie making would be 100% an art form. You start with a general idea of what you want then mix it up as you go along.

This recipe starts as a good basis, but it’s easy to adapt it to your own tastes and make it your own! Here are some common add-ins you can throw into this strawberry banana oat smoothie before blending:

• sweeteners – like honey, maple syrup, or stevia
• flavor boosters – like ginger root, lemon or lime juice, or fresh herbs like basil (—> one of my favorite additions to this strawberry banana oat smoothie!)
• whole seeds – like flax seed, chia, or hemp
• seed or nut butters – like almond butter, peanut butter, cashew nut butter, or sunflower seed butter
• nutritional supplements – vitamins, protein powders, collagen powders

How to measure smoothie ingredients

I too am guilty of looking at a smoothie recipe and then throwing a bit of this and a bit of that to the pitcher. Sometimes though, it’s nice to know exactly how much smoothie I’m going to end up making.

Maybe you are counting calories. Perhaps you don’t want to end up with leftovers. Maybe you never make enough for your kids to share. No matter your reason, sometimes it’s necessary.

How do I do this without dirtying a pile of measuring cups and spoons? A kitchen scale!

Simply place the pitcher on your scale and hit the “tare” button to zero it out. Add the ingredients, pressing tare between each one to measure exactly how much goes into the pitcher without dirtying a single measuring cup.