Blueberry Smoothie

Jenny is in perpetual search for easy, weeknight recipes to attempt to feed her family. When they balk, she just eats more.

Among the many indignities of adolescence, right near the tippy top has got to be braces. 

Yes, the whole process has improved since the early 1980s, when Dr. S., wearer of white bucks and driver of a car that was far too expensive for my part of town, entrapped my teeth for a good four years behind metal. It all ended with a standoff in his office, and I can’t remember the details but my father looked at the floor a lot and I made some comments about the consumer bureau, and then, the braces were magically removed. 

Tooth improvement starts earlier and tends to end more quickly these days, and you can have pink braces now. Still. It’s bad stuff.

So when my 13-year-old was set to get her choppers improved, I set out to find her foods to get through the first few days with new braces, when the pain level is high and chewing next to impossible. 

Already a smoothie lover, I figured she might cotton to Blueberry Smoothie, which has a lot more going for it, nutritionally, than many versions I make her before school. (Side note to the smoothie obsessives: follow Chef Gwen for her frequent smoothie postings.) 

You will note that nbert gives you some options for this drink, so I will walk you through what I used, as I tried to maximize the meal-ness of it all and keep an appealing flavor profile for my intended sipper. 

Frozen blueberries are fine, but while fresh in the market, it seems silly not to use them. (To make up for the lack of ice-cold-ness, I threw a few cubes of ice in with the cup of water.)

I tossed in two medium bananas, because I wanted them to shine. I used almond milk, which I think is the key to the final nutty, sort of almost roasted quality to the flavor. Rather than plain Greek yogurt (which I am starting to rebel against. Hello there is a place in America for regular yogurt thank you!) I threw in two generous tablespoons of plain, full fat vanilla yogurt to give it some sweetness. Yes to flaxseed. Yes to a few almonds. Yes to cinnamon. No thanks, oatmeal, Matcha. 

So, here is the sipping dialogue. 

“Hm. It tastes like a muffin.”

“Really?  A muffin?”

“Wait is it blueberry. There’s like, another berry. I don’t know. Tastes like a blueberry muffin."

“Yes blueberries. The other fruit is banana.”

“Oh yeah.  It’s really good. Have you seen my Teen Vogue?”

Ten minutes later. Gone. Yum.

Blueberry Smoothie by nbert

Serves 2

1 cup wild frozen blueberries
1 small banana or 1/2 large banana
1 cup Chocolate or Vanilla Soymilk or Almondmilk
1 tablespoon Ground Flaxseed
1 handful Walnuts or Almonds
1 tablespoon Greek Yogurt 2% (optional)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup Water
1/2 cup Cooked Organic Oatmeal (optional)
1 teaspoon Matcha green tea (optional)

See the full recipe (and save it and print it) here.

Photo by Karen Mordechai