Blueberry Breakfast Smoothie

I heart my immersion blender.  Seriously, if you don't have one, put it on your shopping list for this week.  You can use it for oh so many things, but it has particularly made my mornings better, brighter and healthier.  For me, healthy breakfast has always been a challenge.  I am not a morning person so egg white omelets are out of the question as well as pretty much anything that requires preparation or doing dishes.  But being health conscious, bagels, donuts and fast food are also not an option.  And let's be honest, there is only so much oatmeal a gal can eat.  Enter immersion blender.  The result?  Smoothie heaven!

Everyone loves smoothies.  They are packed with fruit (and veggies if you like!), delicious, and fast. All you need is an immersion blender, fresh or frozen fruit and a to-go cup, and you can have a perfectly healthy breakfast and be out the door.   I will feature new smoothies as I make them, but there are a few staples that I always have on hand.  First, organic vanilla almond milk.  I use this to make all my smoothies (and my oatmeal).  It adds a delicious flavor and leaves out the dairy so you won't have to worry about lactose.  My second staple is flax seed.  It is pretty hard to get flax seed into most foods but you can't even notice once it is blended into a smoothie.  Since I'm not quite ready to fully part with my oatmeal and I appreciate a dose of healthy grains in the morning, I decided to throw that into this week's smoothie creation.

Blueberry Breakfast Smoothie

2/3 cup vanilla almond milk
1/4 cup of oats
3/4 cup blueberries
1 tablespoon flaxseed
about 1/2 cup of ice (less if blueberries are frozen)


Add all ingredients and blend well until smooth.  Enjoy :)

What makes this bite better?
Flaxseed is packed with omega-3 fatty acids and fiber.  Omega-3's are necessary for overall health but they can not be made by the body, they must be obtained through the diet.  People often do not get enough of major dietary sources containing omega-3's such as fish, nuts and seeds, so flaxseed is an excellent addition to up your intake.  In addition, blueberries provide antioxidants and oats reduce cholesterol.  Oats in a smoothie?!  Try it...it's a perfect balanced breakfast in a cup.