Autumn. Where light and dark tango until light bends and fades as it crosses the celestial equator. Where lazy summer days are left behind and the busy season begins again.
And, with busy schedules and shorter days, life can tend to get a bit stressful. But, just because the leaves are falling doesn’t mean you need to fall apart!
This year, start anew by paying more attention to your health, mind, body and soul. Find time to enjoy an autumn breeze. Feel the crisp air against your cheeks. Touch the burnt orange and bright red leaves bursting all around you. Take a walk in it all. Breathe in the aroma of autumn. Pick up the treasures that Mother Nature leaves in its path: an acorn; chestnut; bright red and orange leaves.
And, when you’re done with your stress-free walk, bring the orchards to the table with our Old Fashioned Oat and Apple Breakfast Smoothie recipe and our best Healthful Seasons Collagen Peptides.
We begin this recipe with the star of the show...Apples.
Apples add vitamin C and a good amount of fiber and sweetness to your smoothie. Vitamin C is needed to synthesize collagen.
For fresh apples, cut the apple into approximately ½” chunks and add apple chunks to the blender.
You can either peel or leave the skin on and cut apples into cubes and add fresh or place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze for later.
Healthful tip: Prep apples beforehand to make it easier to make this recipe when you’re on the go. Cut approximately ½” chunks and add to a bowl. Sprinkle it with lemon juice and stir. Spread out on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze. Once frozen, divide out into freezer safe zip-locked bags. Divide out 1 ½ to 2 cups of apple chunks and label with date and ingredient list.
Healthful tip: Apples are also high in fiber and other nutrients. The benefits of apples go way back to the adage “an apple a day…” which is why apples made our top ten favorite fruits for smoothies. The nutritional value of an apple shouldn’t be overlooked. There are oodles of phytonutrients boasting its antioxidants. This protects our overall health, including a healthy gut and digestive tract.
What’s all the hype about almond milk anyway?
Almonds are ground, soaked in water, and strained to create this smooth milk-alternative with a satisfying nutty edge. Though this beverage is easy to make at home with a blender or food processor, as you may have noticed, there’s no need if you’re looking for convenience--almond milk has all but taken over the dairy aisle.
And no wonder! Unsweetened almond milk has no saturated fats, no cholesterol, and is seriously low in calories--on average 35 calories per cup compared to 126 calories in the same amount of 2% milk (1). Cow milk's larger caloric value is in part because it actually contains more sugars. While cow’s milk has about 12 grams of carbohydrates per cup, unsweetened almond milk has less than two.
Healthful tip: When looking for pairings to your smoothie or meal, keep in mind that since the almond pulp is eventually filtered out in the almond milk process, almond milk is not as high in protein as you might expect (2).
Healthful tip: Almond milk is often fortified with calcium, vitamins A, B-12, and D, but the amount can vary from brand to brand. When shopping for this healthy and delicious staple, make sure to take a look at these nutritional values and find an unsweetened version (“original” usually has added sweeteners). Don’t worry, this smoothie recipe is sweet enough with the apple and cinnamon!
Oats-The meat of the smoothie.
Adding oats to a smoothie not only adds nutrition, it also thickens your smoothie. There are a few ways to add the oats to your smoothie. You can either add them dry, soak oats in almond milk for at least an hour or soak the oats overnight. It all depends on the consistency you prefer.
Add oats and almond milk mix to the blender. Add yogurt and 1 scoop Healthful Seasons Collagen Peptides. Blend until smooth. Top with cinnamon and oats.
And, enjoy!
Research
- Vanga SK, Raghavan V. How well do plant based alternatives fare nutritionally compared to cow's milk?. J Food Sci Technol. 2018;55(1):10-20. doi:10.1007/s13197-017-2915-y
- Zhang YY, Hughes J, Grafenauer S. Got Mylk? The Emerging Role of Australian Plant-Based Milk Alternatives as A Cow's Milk Substitute. Nutrients. 2020 Apr 28;12(5):1254. doi: 10.3390/nu12051254. PMID: 32354190; PMCID: PMC7281999.
