Hello Friends! I hope you are having a great day. I want to focus on starting your day off the right way! We’ve all heard how important it is to start the day off with a healthy breakfast, but I know many of you are STILL not heeding this advice. If this is you, please continue reading. I hope the information in this post will encourage you to change your ways and have you looking forward to breakfast every single day because it can do so much more than fill your tummy.
My Go-to Breakfast
My go-to breakfast is oatmeal. I love oatmeal because of all the different things I can add to it to make it more delicious AND nutritious. I have FIVE delicious ways to prepare oatmeal so you are not eating it the same way every day and you are injecting some variety into your mornings. See the recipes below!
Oats have 2 grams of insoluble fiber which can aid in weight loss because it helps you feel full longer, so you don’t eat as much. Insoluble fiber also helps to keep your bowels regular which prevents constipation and hemorrhoids. Oats also contain 2 grams of soluble fiber. The soluble fiber also helps with weight control and bowel movements, but it also offers protection to your heart because inside your digestive system, it attaches to cholesterol particles and takes them out of the body. Soluble fiber also helps to keep your blood sugar stable.
Oats are a very good source of the soluble fiber beta glucans. Beta glucans help make our immune system more efficient by stimulating the immune cells that attack, ingest, and destroy invading pathogens. Beta glucans also stimulate the release of white blood cells whose job it is to bind to viruses and tumors and release chemicals to destroy them. Beta glucans have also been found to help the body fight upper respiratory infections as well as infections resistant to antibiotics, specifically Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. They have also been shown to mitigate the symptoms of the common cold.
Beta glucans are sometimes used as medicine. They have been found to be effective in treating the above-mentioned conditions as well as high cholesterol, the flu, diabetes, cancer, HIV/AIDS, allergies, hepatitis, Lyme disease, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis. How much better is it to get beta glucans directly from our food? I bet you had no idea there was so much immune boosting power in a simple bowl of oats!
To be more specific, I choose steel cut oats. Why steel cut instead of quick oats or old fashioned oats? Aren’t they about the same? Yes and no. Yes, they are the same in that they have the same nutritional value no matter how you choose to eat them. No, in that steel cut oats are lower on the glycemic index meaning they are broken down more slowly by your body because they haven’t been processed as much. Therefore, they stay with you a bit longer, keeping your blood sugar more stable and helping you feel full longer.
Steel cut oats take about 30 minutes to prepare, so that’s why I have a meal prep day just to prepare my weekly breakfasts. I make enough for the entire week and divide it into separate bowls, refrigerate, reheat as needed, and add all the goodies. It’s much easier to cook and clean only once, and I feel it’s worth the time because of the extra benefits I get from eating steel cut oats. I also enjoy their texture as well.
Below I will share 5 different ways I like to have my steel cut oats, but first things first. Let me tell you two things that go into every bowl of oats I eat and why. I always add 1 ½ teaspoons of black strap molasses as well as a tablespoon of flaxseeds that I grind fresh in a spice grinder each morning.
The first reason I add black strap molasses is obvious: it adds some sweetness to my bowl. But why not brown sugar, you may ask? While brown sugar does taste good in oatmeal, I’m looking for a little more in my sweetener, and brown sugar’s resume was a bit lacking. In addition to adding a little sweetness to my oatmeal, a teaspoon and a half of black strap molasses also adds 10% of my daily iron requirement as well as providing me with 4% of my calcium for the day. Brown sugar can’t do that!
My other must-have ingredient is a tablespoon of ground flaxseeds. I buy my flaxseeds whole and grind them fresh because they are easier to digest that way, and I want to get all the nutrients I can. Also, if you buy flaxseeds already ground, they can go rancid more quickly. If you need a spice grinder for your flaxseeds, click here
A tablespoon of flaxseeds provides an additional 2.8 grams of fiber, and we all could use more fiber. That tiny tablespoon also delivers an impressive 1.9 grams of protein! Speaking of protein, for those of you who think you must have meat and eggs for breakfast to get your protein, keep reading. Below I have the recipes for 5 different ways I eat my oatmeal along with the fiber, protein, iron, and calcium content for each. You’ll see that you’re not missing out on everyone’s obsession these days, PROTEIN. Even better, you are leaving the unhealthy fat and cholesterol of eggs and bacon behind while picking up tons of antioxidants from the added fruits and nuts in each bowl.
Flaxseeds are also rich in the healthy fats known as Omega-3s which help to keep your heart healthy and reduce inflammation. Healthy fats also keep our cell membranes healthy by acting as a barrier against harmful things while acting as a passageway for nutrients into to cells or waste products going out of the cell. This adds up to skin that holds moister better making it softer and more wrinkle free.
While we all want to have healthy skin and look good on the outside, what’s on the inside is far more important, and flax seeds have been shown to be a heavy weight in the fight against atherosclerosis, or plaques in the arteries. Studies show that dietary flaxseeds can retard the progression of atherosclerotic plaques by reducing plaque formation by up to 40%. So if you want to be beautiful inside and out, add some ground flaxseeds to your oatmeal every morning.
Let’s get to the recipes:
Always prepare your oatmeal per the directions provided on the packaging. To keep your oatmeal vegan, make sure you prepare it in water or a non-dairy milk. As I mention above, I always add 1.5 teaspoons of Blackstrap Molasses and I always grind up 1 tablespoon of flaxseeds and add that to my oatmeal.
With those constants in mind, let’s get into the varieties – 5 Ways in 5 Days!!
The first of my “5 Ways in 5 Days” has been my “go-to” oatmeal recipe for years now. It is simple and delicious but I was excited to step outside of my comfort zone and try some new varieties. However, this remains a tried and true, amazing way to enjoy your oatmeal.
Apple & Cinnamon Steel Cut Oats
¼ cup serving steel cut oats, cooked
1 apple, diced
¼ cup raisins
1 ½ tsp Blackstrap Molasses
¼ cup chopped walnuts
2 tsp cinnamon
1 TBS flaxseed, ground
My Apple & Cinnamon Steel Cut Oats give me 15.1 g of the recommended 25 g of fiber I need every day. It also provides 12.7 g of the recommended 45 g of protein. I also get 30% of my daily iron and 11% of my daily calcium requirements.
Next up in my “5 Ways in 5 Days” recipes is a unique take on tropical flavors – you wouldn’t think pineapple and oatmeal, but it is amazing!
Hawaiian Steel Cut Oats
¼ cup serving steel cut oats, cooked
½ cup pineapple, diced
1 TBS shredded unsweetened coconut
1 ½ tsp Blackstrap Molasses
1/8 cup chopped macadamia nuts
1 small banana
1 TBS flaxseed, ground
My Hawaiian Steel Cut Oats give me 12.2 g of the recommended 25 g of fiber I need every day. It also provides 9.8 g of the recommended 45 g of protein. I also get 27.6% of my daily iron and 9% of my daily calcium requirements.
The 3rd variety in my “5 Ways in 5 Days” recipes is comfort food at its finest. Peanut butter and oatmeal are perfect partners in this yummy and fun version of oatmeal and the banana provides the right amount of sweetness to complete the dish!
Peanut Butter & Banana Steel Cut Oats
¼ cup serving steel cut oats, cooked
¼ cup raisins
1 ½ tsp Blackstrap Molasses
1 TBS Peanut Butter
1 small banana
1 TBS flaxseed, ground
My Peanut Butter & Banana Steel Cut Oats give me 11.4 g of the recommended 25 g of fiber I need every day. It also provides 12.5 g of the recommended 45 g of protein. I also get 28% of my daily iron and 8% of my daily calcium requirements.
Next up in my “5 Ways in 5 Days” recipes, Berry Peachy oatmeal, is simple to make but the fruit flavors take this breakfast dish to another level. Both the blueberries and the peaches bring a nice sweetness while the almond slivers provide just the right amount of crunch!
Berry Peachy Steel Cut Oats
¼ cup serving steel cut oats, cooked
1 cup Blueberries
1 med. peach
1 ½ tsp Blackstrap Molasses
¼ cup chopped almonds
2 tsp cinnamon
1 TBS flaxseed, ground
My Berry Peachy Steel Cut Oats give me 15.4 g of the recommended 25 g of fiber I need every day. It also provides 14.3 g of the recommended 45 g of protein. I also get 31% of my daily iron and 12% of my daily calcium requirements.
As I wrap up my “5 Ways in 5 Days” recipes, I have saved the best for last! This sweet potato oatmeal is so amazing. It was one of those very pleasant surprises that I ended up liking this recipe as much as I did. I suspect it will quickly become one of your favorites too!
Sweet Potato Steel Cut Oats
¼ cup serving steel cut oats, cooked
1 sm. Sweet pot.- 5 in, baked & peeled
¼ cup raisins
1 ½ tsp Blackstrap Molasses
¼ cup chopped pecans
2 tsp cinnamon
1 TBS flaxseed, ground
My Sweet Potato Steel Cut Oats give me 14.7 g of the recommended 25 g of fiber I need every day. It also provides 12.9 g of the recommended 45 g of protein. I also get 33% of my daily iron and 13% of my daily calcium requirements. One other note – this recipe also provides 368% of the daily recommended amount of vitamin A.
I hope you’ve learned something new in this post that will encourage you to begin each day with a healthy, hearty bowl of oatmeal. Not only will it help you feel full, it will deliver so much fiber, protein, antioxidants, and other nutrients that those biscuits at the local drive-thru can’t even come close to matching. Plus, you won’t get all the artery clogging fat – YUCK! Let me know if you try one of these recipes and like it, or if you have an oatmeal recipe you’d like to share. Thanks for reading, and have a GREAT day!
WATCH THE VIDEO HERE:
REFERENCES:
http://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2009/12/The-Immune-Enhancing-Benefits-of-Beta-Glucans/Page-01
https://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-1041-beta-glucans.aspx?activeingredientid=1041&activeingredientname=beta-glucans
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23585134
I’ve actually tried all your oatmeal recipes- my favorite was the Hawaiian and the one with sweet potatoes- YUM!!!! Week 2 – I started with the Hawaiian yesterday SO GOOD! I actually make my oatmeal ahead of time since I have such a crazy schedule and use it throughout the week- this morning I had the cinnamon apple – great, easy and creative ways to eat oatmeal and sooo filling- thanks Lori for these great recipes