Oats as a breakfast food, are underestimated, and misunderstood. An excellent source of fiber, protein, minerals and antioxidants, oatmeal is the perfect food to start the day with!
How my Love-Affair with Oatmeal Began:
Freshman year of college, almost 20 years ago, I was enrolled in a general education Health course that kicked off the beginning of this life-changing “healthy living” movement for me. One day in the beginning of the semester, the professor spoke of cutting out processed cereals (I was born in 1980 and grew up on that stuff!). The professor suggested replacing less-than-nutritious processed cereals with oatmeal, explaining the health benefits and promising we’d see and feel changes, just by making the swap. He encouraged and challenged us to eat it plain, every day, for two weeks and to watch what happens. Never one to shy from a challenge – I wanted to see what this was all about.
Why two weeks? Well, it was going to be an adjustment period to get used to eating plain oats with nothing to sweeten or flavor it. He warned that it may taste like cardboard but sticking to it for two weeks, would change our tastebuds forever. You see, sugar is a cocaine-like addition, and sugar-laden cereals have participated in creating addicts.
On day one, I was blown away (not in a good way) by the bland, flavorless taste of my bowl of oatmeal. I forced it down anyway, and continued to do so every day. The biggest change I noticed that year, was that I had more sustained energy after breakfast, without dealing with blood sugar spikes, I wasn’t hungry again just one hour later, and I lost a bunch of weight! Guess what? I still eat oatmeal almost every morning to this day, and four kids later, that weight I lost in college has stayed off.
5 Benefits of Consuming Oats
Why is oatmeal nutritionally superior to processed cereals?
- Oats contain a naturally balanced composition of nutrients including antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Abundant minerals present in oats are copper, manganese phosphorus, thiamine, zinc and magnesium. Avenanthramides, polyphenol antioxidants present in oats, are anti-inflammatory and increase nitric oxide production which helps keep blood pressure low.
- Oats are a good source of plant-based protein to start the day with. One cup of cooked oats provides 6-7g of protein.
- Nutrient-dense oats also have a high amount of soluble fiber (roughly 5g per serving), effectively reducing cholesterol, blood sugar and keep you full longer. Research shows, consuming this type of fiber helps us control excess eating and unhealthy cravings by slowing down digestion. All that fiber (which most Americans are lacking) will also help get things moving, if you know what I mean! Eating more fiber lowers our risk of stroke, coronary heart disease, colon cancer and type 2 diabetes.
- Oats are capable of helping lower cholesterol. The soluble fiber present in oats reduces the absorption of low density lipoprotein (LDL) “bad” cholesterol into your bloodstream.
- Oats are naturally gluten-free! Some oatmeal sold in stores can be cross-contaminated by other grains which are not gluten-free, so if you suffer from celiac disease or severe gluten sensitivity, be sure to buy a brand which advertises gluten-free.
Steel Cut Oats v. Rolled Oats
How I eat oatmeal today, is a little different than how my professor told me to eat it – but I still avoid refined sugars and have some recipes to share with you! I alternate between plain oats, and “chia oats” which involves mixing chia seeds into your cooked oatmeal. Chia seeds provide additional protein and are a good source of iron and omega-3 fatty acids. As a mom of three little kids, I love making “overnight oats” too. To make overnight oats, put the uncooked oats into a bowl with some water or nut milk, add your mix-ins and leave it in the fridge overnight. You will wake up to a hearty bowl of oatmeal, with absolutely no cooking necessary! (Note: if you are using steel-cut oats, they require an extra-step since they have not been processed the same way as old-fashioned oats – simply bring them to a boil for one minute on the stove, and then add in your mix-it’s and pop them in the fridge overnight). The kids love overnight oats so much, they call it “dessert oatmeal” – yet there’s nothing unhealthy about it!
When choosing oatmeal at the store, I never buy the instant flavored packets – you’ll end up with too much sugar at the start of your day, and defeat the purpose of trying to be healthier. Try buying old-fashioned, thick oats, or steel-cut oats.
Oatmeal Challenge
I challenge you to two weeks of eating plain oatmeal every single day, with absolutely nothing added in. After the two week period is over, you can try the mix-in’s below, being sure not to add refined sugar and to stick to the recipe. Let me know how it works for you and the changes in your body that you notice after a couple of months!
Breakfast Oatmeal Recipes
For the following mixes, you can choose whether to add chia seeds or not – either way, they’ll be good! Also, these recipes work for cooked, hot oatmeal, or for overnight, cold oatmeal. Whichever recipe you choose, start with a base of 1/2 c oats + 1 c of water/nut milk. You ultimately want to aim for an intake of 1-1.5 c of oatmeal a day. I always try to add in a little healthy fat, which increases satiety and makes breakfast even more nourishing with that addition.
Blueberry Pie Oatmeal
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp coconut oil, coconut butter or 1 tbsp full-fat coconut milk
1/4 c frozen organic (and preferably wild) blueberries
Unsweetened coconut flakes to sprinkle, optional
Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal
3 organic dates, chopped and seeded
3/4 of a crisp organic apple, like Pink Lady, diced
1 1/2 tbsp Vietnamese cinnamon
1/2 tsp coconut oil
Cinnamon Nut-Butter Swirl Oatmeal
1 1/2 tbsp cinnamon
2 tbsp nut butter of your choice (make sure to buy one with no added oils, sugar or salt)
Chopped walnuts to sprinkle, optional
Banana Bread Oatmeal
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 banana, mashed completely and then stirred in
1 1/2 tbsp Vietnamese cinnamon
A little swirl of Grade B maple syrup
Sub half the water for unsweetened nut milk
Prior to serving, top with walnuts, broken into pieces
Pumpkin Oatmeal
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 c pumpkin squash
1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tbsp unsalted grass-fed butter
Pinch of Redmonds Real Salt
A little swirl of Grade B maple syrup
Pomegranate-Coconut Oats
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp coconut butter
2 tbsp unsweetened coconut flakes
Top with raw cocoa nibs, fresh pomegranate arils and unsweetened coconut
