This breakfast smoothie takes only minutes to prepare and is designed to help kick-start your day.  It is packed with wholemeal oats that are slowly digested during the morning and banana, which has high potassium levels, to help support muscle function. The calcium in the milk and yoghurt, together with the vitamin K & manganese in the prunes all help maintain bone health and Chia seeds are a great source of ‘good for you’ unsaturated fats.

Moreish prunes are high in potassium, so do all sorts from supporting a healthy nervous system, to maintaining blood pressure. Prunes are also a source of copper which helps normal immune function and iron transport in the body. And because prunes contribute to normal bowel function, this smoothie is a great detox.

Ingredients:

Handful of rolled oats

1 banana

Small handful of ready-to-eat California Prunes (about 4)

1 tsp honey

Approx 20g live yoghurt

Tablespoon of chia seeds

Approx 150 ml Skimmed / semi-skimmedmilk

Approx 150 ml California Prune juice

1 tsp fresh root ginger

Couple of lettuce leaves

Method:

Firstly, place the oats in the blender and blend until you have a fine powder.  Then add all the rest of the ingredients, except for the milk and the prune juice.

Add enough milk to go half-way up the glass, and top with enough prune juice to cover the solid ingredients.

Blend, adding more liquid to get your preferred consistency.

Recipe by Jennifer Irvine, author of The Diet For Food Lovers and Pure Package the Balance Diet, and the latest brand ambassador for the California Prune Board.