Simplicity Saturday – 5 Recipes to Change Your Day Before 8am

You already know what a difference a bowl of oatmeal makes: It warms you up, fills you up, and pumps you up like no other breakfast food. Many studies actually suggest that this overachiever can also help with obesity, cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease. And thats’ just the plain stuff.

Ugh…plain oatmeal:( What happens when you top your bowl with healthy ingredients that have their own SUPERPOWERS… BOOM! Your first meal of the day turns into the equivalent of nutritional DYNAMITE.

Here are four ways to turn naked oatmeal into premium fuel:

Almond-Blueberry Medley

• 1/4 cup steel cut oats
• 1/4 cup of almond milk (or cashew, coconut, hemp, rice milk)
• 1 tbsp of slivered almonds
• 1/3 cup of blueberries
• 1 tsp of ground flax seeds
• Drizzle of maple syrup or raw honey

Boil 1 cup of water over high heat. Add 1/4 cup steel-cut oats. Cook, stirring, for 25 minutes, until the oatmeal is soft. Reduce heat to low and cook for s minutes stirring. Add 1/4 cup of almond milk, Tbsp of slivered almonds and 1/3 cup blueberries and tsp of ground flaxseed. Drizzle with raw honey or maple syrup and serve!

Pumped-Up Banana Pecan

• 1/4 cup of rolled oats
• 1/2 scoop of vanilla protein powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 banana
• 1 tbsp of chopped pecans

Mix 1/4 cup quick cooking oats, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder (I like Genuine Health) and tsp of cinnamon. Heat over medium, stirring constantly. Move to bowl and top with sliced banana, and a Tbsp of chopped pecans and a splash of almond milk.

Live Nutty-Seed Cranberry Crunch

• 1/2 cup of rolled oats
• 1/4 cup of mixed nuts
• 2 tbsp of mixed seeds (hemp, chia, ground flax)
• 1 tbsp of dried cranberries

Mix 1/2 cup rolled oats, 1/4 cups mixed nuts, seeds & dried cranberries into a bowl, cover with enough water to just cover all ingredients. Place a paper towel over top and sit on the counter overnight. In the morning stir in some milk and either maple syrup or agave nectar and you have a nutrient-dense raw cereal waiting to fill you up and fuel you up.

Brain-boosting Almond Butter

• 2 cups of rolled oats
• 2 tsp of cinnamon
• 2 whole eggs
• 2 cups of almond milk (or cashew, coconut, hemp, rice milk)
• 4 tbsp of nut butter
• 2 tbsp of maple syrup or raw honey

Preheat the oven to 375′. Coat an 8×8 inch baking dish with coconut oil. In a large bowl combine 2 cups old-fashioned olds and 2 tsp cinnamon. In a medium bowl, beat 2 eggs and 2 cups of almond milk, 1 cup of water & 4 tbsp almond butter or natural peanut butter. Add the oats and mix. Pour into dish and bake for 20 minutes. Drizzle with 2 tbsp maple syrup. Soooooooo yummy!

Ah, Sunday mornings…what better way to end the weekend than with a pancake breakfast!

Banana & Spelt Pancakes

• 1 cup spelt flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp. sea salt
• 1 ripe banana mashed
• 1 cup milk alternative
• 1 tbsp maple syrup or agave nectar
• 1 tsp. coconut oil or olive oil if you don’ t have any

1. Whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in bowl.
2. Add the banana, milk, syrup and oil and stir just until flour is absorbed.
3. Lightly oil skillet or pan with oil. Portion 1/4 cup batter on to the skillet and cook on side for 4 minutes flip, cook another 2 minutes or until golden.

That’s right; no dairy, no wheat or eggs making this a fabulous vegan option, wheat-free option and dairy-intolerant option. They are a great source of fiber, complex carbs, vitamin B and potassium, plus with the added cinnamon a great way to enjoy what you eat and stabilize your blood sugar

Try topping your flapjacks with a little almond butter and jam for something a little different or a little bit of butter and real maple syrup (March, by the way is the best month to visit the sugar bush for some Maple syrup). Pair this with a colourful fruit salad and a green tea and voila….healthy breakfast here I come.