We love our whole grains here at Vibrant Wellness Journal, and few grains are more adaptable, delicious or wholesome as oats. Whether whole, rolled, or quick, oats offer a ton of nutrition and can be used in a variety of breakfast recipes, but also for snacks and dinners too!
But why might you want to enjoy oats everyday? According the Whole Grains Council:
- Oats may reduce asthma risk in children
- Increase appetite-control hormones (meaning you stay fuller longer, and it may even reduce cravings for less-healthy goodies)
- Oats have various properties that help boost our immunity
- Want to get things moving naturally? The natural fiber in oats can help improve our bowel movements (fyi: it’s very important to have awesome, productive bowel movement daily)
- Oats reduce cholesterol naturally, without taking all those meds (read Scott’s story about natural cholesterol reduction here.)
- Oats may help with diabetes management and improve insulin sensitivity
Take a look at our One Food, Ten Ways list for our favorite whole grain, and as a bonus, see below for our Basic Whole Oats recipe. What is your favorite oat recipe?
Gluten-Free Nut & Seed Bread (My New Roots’ Life Changing Bread)
Gluten-Free Black Bean Burgers
The Best Oatmeal Cookies
Basic Whole Oats
Whole oat groats require a longer cooking time, but the chewy deliciousness is totally worth it. You can also make a larger batch ahead of time and warm the leftovers for a quicker breakfast.
1 cup whole oats (groats), soaked overnight & drained
2½ cups filtered water
Pinch sea salt
Optional mix-ins:
Sliced almonds, ground walnuts or sunflower seeds
Sliced fresh fruit, raisins or chopped dates
Maple syrup, coconut sugar or apple butter
Coconut oil, flax oil or coconut milk
Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg or vanilla extract
- In a large saucepan bring water to a boil, and add oats and salt. Partially cover and cook until liquid is absorbed, about 30-40 minutes.
- When oats are soft and chewy, remove from heat, fluff with fork, and serve with any of the optional mix-ins. Enjoy for breakfast, snack, or dinner.
Yields: 3-4 servings
Leave a Reply