There’s Something About Oats

I have never been big on breakfast despite all that ‘breakfast is the most important meal of the day’ spiel but when I feel like a nice breakfast, I take my time to enjoy it.

My idea of a nice weekend will start with a leisurely breakfast comprising of a nice cup of coffee, a slice of toast with poached eggs or if I am really living it up, I will go for eggs Benedict with a rich hollandaise sauce.

Before I get too carried away, back to the humble oats. Many studies have proved the benefits of good old fashioned rolled oats, especially the lowering of blood cholesterol.

Many of us suffer from high blood pressure, high cholesterol and excess weight. One simple change we can all make today is to replace our breakfast with oats aiming for 3 – 5 portions a week. This is something I have introduced family members to and seen the difference in their health markers.

Benefits of eating Oats

Oats are highly nutritious and full of important vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. They have a high fibre and protein content compared to other grains.

Oats contain some unique components — in particular, the soluble fiber beta-glucan and antioxidants called avenanthramides. Eating oats helps to lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

The fibre in oats helps to reduce constipation. Due to how filling oats is, it makes for a weight-loss friendly food.

Oats for brekkie

Oats can be boring and let’s be honest, there’s nothing much to look at when you’ve made it but hey, you can jazz it up with some fresh fruits like banana, strawberries and peaches.

You can sprinkle a bit of ground cinnamon which regulates blood sugar and drizzle some honey on it. Alternatively add some dried fruits and nuts to it for a bit of texture. Yum.

It’s up to you to be as creative as you want with your oats having a different topping or adding a different spice every day.

If you’re bored with oats porridge, why not turn the oats into granola by adding a bit of coconut oil and some honey or date syrup.

Mix it up and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 – 25 minutes. Add some flaked coconut (halfway through cooking), dried fruits (cranberries, raisins, dates), or nuts (pecan, walnut, peanuts, Brazil nuts toasted pine nuts or almonds) and top this up with some fresh live yoghurt or milk.

Have an oat-y brunch or dessert

Oat doesn’t start and end with breakfast. How about incorporating this into your dessert? You can turn it into a flapjack for an on-the-go snack or you can incorporate some oats into the base of your cheesecake.

Better still add a generous quantity of oats to your crumble top mix for a more crunchy texture. Add this on top of sliced fruits like apple, berries or peach and bake for a scrumptious Sunday lunch dessert. Serve with some fresh piping hot custard or a scoop of ice cream.

Why not make something sinful and decadent less so? You can feel a bit more self-righteous when eating it. Sprinkle some homemade granola on to your ice cream for a bit of crunch.

Have a go at making oat cookies, oat pancakes and muffins. Simply reduce the flour and add a bit of oats instead. Adjust the liquids in your recipe and have a play. Alternatively incorporate oats flour into your other recipes.

Bottom line is that we can all enjoy the health benefits of oats by making some minor changes to our diets.

End the day with oats

Oat doesn’t have to be boring and it’s not just for breakfast. If you come in late from the office, rather than having a heavy meal, just have some oats porridge made with milk and some warming spices like aniseed, cinnamon, ginger or star anise.

This is simply comfort in a bowl and it might just help you to have a very good night sleep as it’s not too heavy or too light.

Today is a great day to start. Why don’t you have a go and share your healthy recipes with others. Thank you for reading my post.

Don’t forget to check out this week’s Purposeful Me post by clicking on link: https://purposefulme.co.uk