When the temperatures soar and the humidity is through the roof, nothing tastes better than an ice cold smoothie – sweet, refreshing and always super delicious. My Oats Almond & Date Smoothie is a healthy & nutritious way to cool down and beat the heat. This smoothie is also a great way to add some very healthy ingredients into your family’s diet in a very fun way!

With their origins being in Asia, oats have been domestically cultivated for more than 2000+ years. Oats are also the only known grain to contain natural protein! Oats are a very wholesome and hearty cereal grain. They are an excellent source of dietary fiber and are thought to be beneficial in naturally lowering cholesterol levels and also help to reduce the risks of cardiovascular disease. Oats are also supposed to enhance the immune system, stabilize blood sugar and significantly decrease the risks for type 2 diabetes. Oats are also rich in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and various nutrients.

The almond nut that we are familiar with is actually the seed of the almond fruit, which naturally grows on an almond tree. Almonds are thought to have originated in Northern Africa & Asia. But here in the US, the state of California is the only one to produce these delicious nuts – via almond trees that were most likely introduced by the Spanish. Almonds are part of the heart healthy Mediterranean diet & help to promote lower cholesterol & cardiovascular disease. In addition, almonds are very healthy & contain large amounts of Vitamin E and also Vitamin B2 to a lesser extent.

Dates are the sweet delicious fruit of the date palm tree - first cultivated by the Egyptians almost 6000 years ago. Today dates are commonly used in Indian, Middle Eastern, Moroccan & Persian cuisines in both sweet and savory applications. Dates have a lovely sweet flavor similar to honey and a slightly chewy texture. Since fresh dates are highly perishable, they are most commonly found in their dried form. Health-wise, dates are very nutritious – they are high in antioxidants but also low in fat & cholesterol. Dates are a rich source of both protein & fiber and contain high levels of calcium, potassium and Vitamins A & B.

This super healthy smoothie works very well for breakfast or even as a mid-afternoon "pick me up" drink. I especially enjoy an oats almond & date smoothie either before or after a good workout ☺.


OATS, ALMOND & DATE SMOOTHIE

Ingredients:

¼ cup rolled oats
8 toasted unsalted almonds, roughly chopped
8 large pitted dates, roughly chopped
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
2½ to 3 cups of whole milk (or you can use low fat milk, almond milk, vanilla almond milk or vanilla soy milk)
1 tbsp sugar/honey, to taste (depends upon the sweetness of the dates)

toasted unsalted almond pieces for garnish

METHOD:

Using a blender, blend all of the ingredients until frothy and the desired consistency is reached. For thicker smoothie, add less milk. Garnish with a few pieces of toasted almonds & serve chilled.


VARIATIONS:

Feel free to add some sliced bananas or fresh sliced peaches to the smoothie. Or you could add a pinch of ground cardamom powder or even a pinch of ground cinnamon if you like ☺.

You can substitute 1 cup of thin coconut milk for 1 cup of milk for a lovely coconutty flavor.

Try toasting the oats in a dry skillet until just lightly brown before use, this adds a wonderful flavor to your drink.





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