Thursday, September 20, 2012

No Cook Banana Oat Power Packed Breakfast

I love oatmeal in the mornings, not only because it is delicious but also because it keeps me full throughout the entire morning! Recently, a friend sent me this great recipe for oatmeal and it is so easy, nutritious and delicious that I had to share it! Seriously, it takes me about 2 minutes before I go to bed in the evening to throw this together and in the morning I wake up to an already made breakfast to jump start my day.


Ingredients:
- 1/2- 1 banana
- 1/4-1/2 c milk of your choice (almond, soy, dairy- I have been using vanilla almond milk)
- 1/4-1/2 c rolled oats
- 1 tbsp almond butter (optional)
- 1 tbsp chia seeds (optional)

First step: mashed banana
Directions:
1. Mash the banana in the bottom of the bowl
2. Add in the oats, milk, almond butter, and chia seeds and stir.
3. Put it in the refrigerator to sit overnight

During the night, the oats soak up the milk and the flavors 'marinate'. This recipe could be altered in a variety of ways- instead of almond butter, you could sprinkle almonds or berries in the oatmeal in the morning.
If I am not going to be running or exercising, I usually use the smaller
portion of oats/banana/milk just to keep the calories
lower.

All the ingredients added, ready for the fridge!
The ingredients in this recipe contain some awesome health benefits:

Chia seeds: chia seeds have an extremely high concentration of omega-3’s (even more than salmon!) and are also an excellent source of fiber, antioxidants, calcium, potassium, and protein.

Bananas: excellent source of potassium, which helps prevent high blood pressure and promote bone health. Bananas also are a good source of 
vitamin B6, vitamin C, fiber and manganese.

Rolled Oats:  Oats have a high soluble fiber content and  contain a special type of fiber known as beta-glucan, which has been shown to lower cholesterol and prevent heart disease and other cardiovascular diseases.  The complex carbohydrates and water-soluble fiber in oats encourcages slow digestion and stabilizes blood sugar. Oats are also a good source of the powerful antioxidant selenium. 

Do you have any healthy breakfast go to favorites that give you strength and energy and keep you full throughout the morning? If so, please share them with us!

5 comments:

  1. You and I have a very similar breakfast! I make oatmeal from Steel Cut Oats. Sprouts sells the Steel Cut Oats in the barrels. I get about 2 to 3 pounds and transfer them to an air tight container when I get home. I bring 3 cups of water and 1/4 tsp of sea salt to a boil, then I add the 1 cup of Steel Cut Oats, reduce the heat and let it simmer with a cover for 10-15 min, stirring occasionally. This serves four so I usually make it ahead of time and put the servings into four bowls. In the morning when I eat the oatmeal, I pour original almond milk over it and heat it up. I usually add in bananas, pears, or white nectarines. Nectarines are great when I need to satisfy my sweet tooth. I like the idea of having Chia in it. I will have to try that. Spouts sells that in the barrels too. My nutritionist said to go with the Steel Cut Oats, but didn't say why. I just like the texture of them better. I want to try your recipe with them and see if they soak up the milk as well. This sounds like an easy go to recipe. Thanks for sharing!

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  2. Thanks Sarah! I haven't tried steel cut oats, let me know if it works!

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  3. so did the steel cut oats work the same or do they need to be cooked? --Curious :)

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  4. I tried it this morning with steel cut oats and it was great!

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