Oatworks Smoothie: Oat-Powered Breakfast to Go

I love starting out my day with a big, nutritious smoothie. But sometimes, when I’m trying to get to the pool by 6 a.m. and I barely have the coordination to put my swimsuit on the right way, the thought of getting all those ingredients out, blending them up, putting them away and washing my blender out is a little more than I can handle.
(You’re welcome to call me lazy, but hey — I am up at 5 a.m. and heading to a workout. My morning motivation can only carry me so far, you know?)
But! Just because I don’t have the time/energy/brainpower to mix up a homemade smoothie doesn’t mean I’m leaving the house without something in the tank. It just needs to be something of the grab-and-go variety. Like a pre-made smoothie in a bottle that packs lots of nutrition and very little junk into a few gulps.
Like Oatworks.
Oatworks comes in three flavors (Strawberry Banana, Peach Mango, and Pomegranate Blueberry) and is packed full of beta glucan, the naturally-occurring soluble fiber responsible for a lot of the awesome health benefits of oatmeal. In fact, a bottle of Oatworks has as much of this soluble fiber as two bowls of oatmeal, which helps lower cholesterol, provides sustained energy release without the crash, and also helps you feel fuller, longer.
While I was definitely down with those benefits, I was also pretty interested in the fact that the product is vegan-friendly, gluten-free, dairy-free, cholesterol-free, all natural, soy-free, sweetener-free and kosher. While I stick to a mostly-vegetarian diet, several of my training buddies are intolerant of gluten and dairy, so I’m always on the lookout for goodies that will work for everyone!
Of course, that’s all well and good, but you still have to drink it, so the big question is: How did it taste? And the short answer is: Good!
Of the three flavors, I liked the Pomegranate Blueberry best and Strawberry Banana the least, but all were good. All flavors were quite sweet, especially considering there’s no added sugar and no sweeteners.
One final bonus — it doesn’t have to be refrigerated. I mean, it tastes way better chilled, but if you need to pack a healthful snack or small meal for later and can’t keep it cool, you’re safe.
Fit Bottomed Line: At 160-170 calories a pop, 0 grams fat and 2 to 3 grams soluble fiber (depending on the flavor), this is a pretty good (and tasty) start to the day. However, keep in mind that the 41 to 45 grams of carbs and 32 to 35 grams of (natural) sugars makes it a sometimes smoothie, and not a perfect choice for every day. Unless, of course, you’re doing mad training for an endurance event or something, in which case, drink ’em down.

I definitely enjoyed having these available as a quick and easy option on early mornings. What’s your go-to early morning, on-the-go breakfast? —Kristen