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Breakfast has always been the most difficult meal of the day for me.  I can't eat store bought cereals because a few hours later, I experience a severe sugar crash.  My blood sugar has been as low as the low 30's after eating cereal!  This makes you feel awful (foggy thoughts, shaky, clammy, nauseated), causes you to eat more, and is not healthy.  I don't have time to cook a big breakfast every morning, so that's out of the question.  I can't eat a lot of eggs since I'm allergic.  What's left you ask? OATS!

Whole grain, rolled oats are excellent for weight loss and health benefits.  They're full of fiber, so they'll not only keep you feeling fuller longer, but they digest slowly, which helps to keep your blood sugar stable.  They're full of phytonutrients, which are excellent for heart health, and have been proven to lower cholesterol levels by as much as 6 points in two months (when eaten daily).  I cannot come up with a better example of a HEALTHY, low-glycemic, whole grain carb.  

Oats are so very versatile too.  I prefer mine toasted.  Notice I said ROLLED oats?  Rolled oats are steamed, then flattened, leaving their bran (the healthiest part) intact.  They will cook in about 5 minutes.  Steel cut oats are chopped up, still contain the bran, but have this hard, chewy texture that is not preferred.  Quick oats have had the bran removed for quick cooking.  There goes your fiber...  A serving of raw rolled oats is 1/2 c.  They contain about 3 grams of fat (OMEGAS!), 0 sugar, 10 grams of protein, 7 grams of fiber, and about 40 HEALTHY carbs.  A serving of cooked oats is 1 c since they're all puffed up with water.  The nutrition info is relatively unchanged.

My favorite way to enjoy my oats is as a dry cereal/granola.  Store bought cereals and granola are packed with unnecessary sugars and fats, and are a health and diet trap.  Not my recipe!

Ingredients:
Organic Rolled Oats
Nuts (I used almonds and walnuts)
Honey
Vanilla
Stevia extract (I use stevia because I don't like my honey taste overbearing.)

Mix the ingredients together and bake them on a cookie sheet at 300 degrees until toasty brown.  Mix them around occasionally so they'll cook evenly.  Add the ingredients according to your taste and preference.  

You can mix with greek yogurt or fruit.  You can have it with milk.  You can eat it dry like I do.  Sometimes I enjoy it with just a tiny pinch of salt.  This morning, I added a few pieces of 70% cocoa dark chocolate for a treat and a change.  Sweet tooth satisfied (for now).  Enjoy!






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