Everyday Toasted Oats

 

I love breakfast, its my favourite meal of the day. I have been making this breakfast bowl for the past couple of months by the request of Miss E. I am blessed to have two great eaters, I mean Miss E loves her sweets but this girl loves her oats in the morning. The secret… toasted oats.

 

I think breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I don’t think I have ever missed breakfast except when I gave birth to Miss E. When you have breakfast every morning and you are not allowed anything from midnight on, its like torture.  Now if only I could get my husband to think the same way, he only eats breakfast on the weekends and when I make it. Seriously, I don’t know how the guy gets through his mornings.

When your mom said breakfast was the most important meal, she was right. Why is breakfast important ? Studies suggest eating a healthy breakfast:

• Gives you energy to start your day off right
• Improves productivity in both adults and children
• Healthier weight
• Overall a diet that is healthier

Let’s talk about these oats. Now this is not your traditional oatmeal that your mother made you eat as a child. Toasting your oats takes this simple breakfast to a new level. Like I said this is Miss E’s request every morning, except on the weekends when we make pancakes.  Toasting your oats brings out a delicious nutty flavour, add healthy toppings like frozen blueberries and walnuts and you have a healthy delicious breakfast full of antioxidants and fibre. Its like heaven, its that simple. If you like to press the snooze button a couple of times in the morning and time is factor, simply make a large batch on the weekend for the week.  Another great thing about oats is one could eat them most days of the week and not get tired because the topping are endless.   A few suggestions are:

• Raisins, walnuts, maple syrup with milk
• Fresh or frozen berries, chia seeds or hemp seeds
• Pomegranate, banana, and walnuts

Not only do oats taste good but they are good for you! Oats are a good source of soluble fibre to help you feel full, stabilize blood sugars, and control cholesterol levels. Choosing the right oat can be a bit confusing with many varieties to choose from instant, to quick oats, to steel cut oats. When it comes to oats you need to read the ingredient list. Instant oats are  highly processed and usually full of sugar, fillers like guar gum and artificial flavours.  Large flake oats ( also known as old fashioned oats) are quickly steamed and rolled, like steel cut oats, have their germ and bran intact, the most nutritious part of the grain. Steel cut oats are the winner when it comes to oats, they are whole grains and will keep you full all morning long, downfall they take the longest to cook. If you follow a gluten free diet you can still enjoy your oats, check the label to make sure they are pure and uncontaminated.

I found a couple of breakfast bowls that caught my eye. This butter toasted breakfast bowl looks delicious and this seriously super cereal looks super healthy and so good. How do you cook your oats?