Are you looking for new and delicious breakfast ideas for kids? This Chocolate Banana Oatmeal Smoothie is packed with nutrition – perfect for starting your day! (plus it’s an excellent way to serve up leftover oatmeal.)

Chocolate Banana Oatmeal Smoothie Recipe

We just finished up a week of standardized testing at our school. It’s kind of crazy how much the school prepares for these tests, even in elementary school. In the weeks leading up to the testing, it’s all my kids could talk about and the teachers were sending home extra homework with practice tests and worksheets for the kids to do.

I bet I got at least 10 different messages, emails, and notes about the importance of a good night sleep before the tests and a hearty breakfast!

I am definitely a believer that kids need a good meal to help them kick start their morning and power through their day. I want to help feed their imaginations and guide them in achieving all their goals.

I know that can’t be done on an empty belly or a nutritionless meal. (Big shout out to Nesquik for partnering with me to bring you this yummy smoothie recipe.)

We are so rushed in the mornings, I often prepare breakfast ahead of time or stick with something quick. Usually, it’s something with eggs or oatmeal.

I’m lucky my kids like oatmeal so much- it’s just so easy to make a big batch and eat on it throughout the week. I will admit though, after 3 or 4 days straight of oatmeal, my kids do start asking for something else.

I’ve got a great secret ingredient that I use to pump up the nutrition in our breakfasts and make those last few servings of oatmeal super-duper yummy!

Can you guess it? It’s Nesquik!

The kids love Nesquik in their milk and I love that it has the addition of seven essential vitamins, minerals, and iron, so it’s also a fabulous addition to breakfast items. (Plus it has 45% less sugar than the leading syrup brands!)

Oatmeal Smoothie Variations

There are tons of ways to change up the flavor of this oatmeal smoothie.

Use a frozen banana for a more frozen/thicker consistency.
Add a scoop of peanut butter to make a chocolate peanut butter banana oatmeal smoothie.
Use half a banana and a handful of fresh or frozen strawberries.
Add a handful or two of spinach to bump up the fiber and nutrients. It will change the color to be a greenish-brown, but you won’t really taste the spinach.
Add a spoonful of flax or chia seed to bump up the fiber and nutrients.

FAQ’s

Can I use raw oats in this Oatmeal Smoothie?

Of course! If you don’t have leftover oats, you can add a quarter cup of raw in place of the cooked oats. Just be sure to thoroughly blend to get rid of any graininess left behind from the oats.

Can I double the oatmeal smoothie recipe?

Definitely, as long as your blender is large enough.

How to Store Leftovers

I do often double the recipe and will serve it two mornings in a row or as an afternoon snack. I just leave the leftover smoothie in the blender container and place it directly in the fridge, and then give it a quick reblend before serving. (Sometimes I will add a bit more milk to thin the smoothie out, or ice to make it more like a frosty.)

It’s your turn- What’s your favorite recipe to squeeze in extra nutrition?