Have you ever noticed the heart on a container of oatmeal? That heart is there because oats contain beta-glucan, a type of fiber that's been shown to help lower cholesterol when you eat it regularly.
Steel-cut oats, which take about 15-20 minutes to cook, contain more fiber
than rolled oats or instant varieties, but any type of oatmeal is a
healthy choice. Just avoid the flavored kinds, which can be packed with
sugar. Instead, sweeten your bowl with milk and a bit of honey, and top
with fruit and nuts.
I recently discovered overnight steel cut oats. It takes 5 minutes or less of my time and my husband and I have a great breakfast ready for us in the morning. This recipe is so easy, you have no excuse to try it out!
The other great thing about steel cut oats is that they can sit in your fridge for a week and when reheated don't get mushy like regular oatmeal. So I make a batch of these oats on Sunday night and keep them in the fridge and we have quick and healthy breakfasts all week long! Just scoop out what you want and reheat them in the microwave.
Overnight Steel Cut Oats
6 Servings
1 1/2 cups steel cut oats
6 cups water
pinch of salt
Bring all ingredients to a boil and boil for 1 minute. Cover, turn off heat and let sit on the stove overnight.
In the morning uncover the oats, give them a stir and bring them to a boil. Stir until creamy and warm and then they are ready to eat!
Top them with your favorite nuts and berries, whether dried or fresh. I love adding pecans and craisins and half of a chopped apple to mine with a lot of cinnamon! The fruit adds sugar so I don't even feel the need to add honey or brown sugar to it.
1.27.2015
1.22.2015
Don't Ever Skip Breakfast!!
Breakfast is sooooo important. I had a nutrition teacher in college that every day would ask us if we had fed our brain. It is so important to eat in the morning and to eat something good for your body so that your brain and the rest of your body can function properly and have the energy it needs to attack the day ahead of it. Skipping breakfast can also set you up for over eating the rest of the day. Now is you are trying to be healthier and lose weight, skipping breakfast will just undo all of your hard work!
"You want to aim for a breakfast that combines good carbs and fiber with some protein," says Erica Giovinazzo, MS, RD.
I will be posting some great, easy breakfasts over the next couple of weeks along with some tips to make them even healthier. If you already are a breakfast eater like me then great, try out some of these new ideas. And if you aren't a breakfast eater, try eating a healthy breakfast every day for a week. I bet you will be surprised with how great you feel and how much more energy you have!
"You want to aim for a breakfast that combines good carbs and fiber with some protein," says Erica Giovinazzo, MS, RD.
I will be posting some great, easy breakfasts over the next couple of weeks along with some tips to make them even healthier. If you already are a breakfast eater like me then great, try out some of these new ideas. And if you aren't a breakfast eater, try eating a healthy breakfast every day for a week. I bet you will be surprised with how great you feel and how much more energy you have!
1.20.2015
Cranberry Walnut Breakfast Cookies
Cranberry Walnut Breakfast Cookies
¾ cup old fashioned oats
½ cup shredded coconut flakes
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup chopped walnuts
¼ cup cranberries
1½ bananas, mashed
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with a silicon baking mat or parchment paper.
Combine the oats, coconut, salt, walnuts, and cranberries in a medium bowl. Set aside. In a separate bowl, stir together mashed banana, honey, vanilla, and coconut oil. Add to dry ingredients and stir until completely combined.
Line the lid of a quart size mason jar with saran wrap to use as a cookie mold. Fill with the cookie dough and flip over onto the prepared baking sheet. Lift off the mason jar lid, then the saran wrap. Repeat steps with remaining cookie dough to make 6 cookies. If you don't have a mason jar lid, you can form the cookies by hand. The mason jar lid will give you cookies that are all the same shape and size.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until edges are golden brown. If you aren't using a silicon baking mat, keep an eye on the bottom of the cookies. Cool on baking sheet. Store loosely covered.
Makes 6 Cookies
¾ cup old fashioned oats
½ cup shredded coconut flakes
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup chopped walnuts
¼ cup cranberries
1½ bananas, mashed
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with a silicon baking mat or parchment paper.
Combine the oats, coconut, salt, walnuts, and cranberries in a medium bowl. Set aside. In a separate bowl, stir together mashed banana, honey, vanilla, and coconut oil. Add to dry ingredients and stir until completely combined.
Line the lid of a quart size mason jar with saran wrap to use as a cookie mold. Fill with the cookie dough and flip over onto the prepared baking sheet. Lift off the mason jar lid, then the saran wrap. Repeat steps with remaining cookie dough to make 6 cookies. If you don't have a mason jar lid, you can form the cookies by hand. The mason jar lid will give you cookies that are all the same shape and size.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until edges are golden brown. If you aren't using a silicon baking mat, keep an eye on the bottom of the cookies. Cool on baking sheet. Store loosely covered.
1.13.2015
Breakfast Cookies
A very popular thing right now is breakfast cookies. Take all of the yummy ingredients you might typically find in your bowl of oatmeal and make it into a healthy, delicious cookie. And let's be honest, who doesn't want an excuse to eat cookies for breakfast? They are full of fiber and good fats to keep you full. The best part, other than how delicious they are, is that they are portable. For those crazy mornings when there just isn't time to sit down and eat breakfast, you can grab one as you run out the door or give them to your kids to eat on the way to school. Tummies will be happy and you will feel good about what you just ate! Besides, breakfast really is the most important meal of the day, so why not make it delicious!
Blueberry Coconut Pecan Breakfast Cookies
Makes about 15 cookies
1½ cups rolled oats
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1 tablespoon golden flaxmeal
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cups coarsely chopped pecans
½ cup dried blueberries
3 very ripe bananas, mashed
¼ cup coconut oil, warm enough to be liquid
1 tablespoon agave nectar or honey or real maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350°. Combine oats, coconut, flaxmeal, salt, pecans, and blueberries. Stir in bananas, oil, agave nectar and vanilla until well combined.
Press 2 tablespoons of mixture into a 2½-inch round cookie cutter onto a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Continue with remaining mixture.
Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until fragrant and golden. Cool on pan.
Feel free to mix it up with dried fruits and nuts that your family enjoys. Just keep the amounts the same so that the cookies don't become to crumbly.
You can sub canola oil if you don't have or don't like coconut oil.
Recipe adapted from: kumquatblog.com
Blueberry Coconut Pecan Breakfast Cookies
Makes about 15 cookies
1½ cups rolled oats
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1 tablespoon golden flaxmeal
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cups coarsely chopped pecans
½ cup dried blueberries
3 very ripe bananas, mashed
¼ cup coconut oil, warm enough to be liquid
1 tablespoon agave nectar or honey or real maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350°. Combine oats, coconut, flaxmeal, salt, pecans, and blueberries. Stir in bananas, oil, agave nectar and vanilla until well combined.
Press 2 tablespoons of mixture into a 2½-inch round cookie cutter onto a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Continue with remaining mixture.
Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until fragrant and golden. Cool on pan.
Feel free to mix it up with dried fruits and nuts that your family enjoys. Just keep the amounts the same so that the cookies don't become to crumbly.
You can sub canola oil if you don't have or don't like coconut oil.
Recipe adapted from: kumquatblog.com
1.08.2015
Feeling A Little Under The Weather?
It's that time of year we all dread, cold and flu season. It seems to catch up to most of us at some point unfortunately. My husband has had a bad cold and a linger sore throat that is bothering him. I started looking up different remedies he could try and found a great list from Health.com. If you have a pesky sore throat, give some of these a try. It's nice to not have one more bottle of medicine in the cabinet that doesn't really work and to be able to find some comfort in items you probably already have at your house.
Saltwater Gargle: There are several studies that have shown that gargling salt water every day can reduce swelling in the throat and loosen mucus. Which in turn helps to flush out irritants and bacteria.Doctors generally recommend dissolving half a teaspoon of salt in one cup of water. If the salty taste is too unpleasant, try adding a little bit of honey. Just remember to spit the water out after gargling and don't swallow it!
Fluids: "Staying hydrated is very important, especially when you're sick and your throat is irritated or inflamed," Dr. Linder says. "You should be drinking enough fluid so that your urine is light yellow or clear. This keeps your mucous membranes moist and better able to combat bacteria and irritants like allergens, and makes your body better able to fight back against other cold symptoms."
Tea: If you are tired of drinking water, a warm cup of herbal tea can offer you some immediate and very soothing relief from your sore throat. Non-herbal teas—whether they're made with black, green, or white leaves—contain antioxidants that are thought to strengthen immunity and ward off infection.
My husband has been living off of chamomile tea. He loves to add a big tablespoon of honey. It sweetens up the tea and also has antibacterial properties that may help you heal faster.
Chicken Soup: Chicken soup is an old remedy for a cold but it can also help soothe your throat. "The sodium in the broth may actually have anti-inflammatory properties, and it can feel good going down," Dr. Linder says.
Soup is also great when you are sick because sometimes eating is just painful. Your swollen, sore throat doesn't want to have to swallow anything. Sipping some liquid nourishment will soothe that throat and make sure you are getting the nutrients you need to fight off that infection.
Marshmallows: According to anecdotal reports, modern-day marshmallows can help ease sore throat pain, possibly because the gelatin coats and soothes. "It's not the wackiest thing in the world," Dr. Linder says. "If your throat is really swollen and it really hurts to swallow anything, I can see how something slippery and sweet like marshmallows might provide some relief."
Saltwater Gargle: There are several studies that have shown that gargling salt water every day can reduce swelling in the throat and loosen mucus. Which in turn helps to flush out irritants and bacteria.Doctors generally recommend dissolving half a teaspoon of salt in one cup of water. If the salty taste is too unpleasant, try adding a little bit of honey. Just remember to spit the water out after gargling and don't swallow it!
Fluids: "Staying hydrated is very important, especially when you're sick and your throat is irritated or inflamed," Dr. Linder says. "You should be drinking enough fluid so that your urine is light yellow or clear. This keeps your mucous membranes moist and better able to combat bacteria and irritants like allergens, and makes your body better able to fight back against other cold symptoms."
Tea: If you are tired of drinking water, a warm cup of herbal tea can offer you some immediate and very soothing relief from your sore throat. Non-herbal teas—whether they're made with black, green, or white leaves—contain antioxidants that are thought to strengthen immunity and ward off infection.
My husband has been living off of chamomile tea. He loves to add a big tablespoon of honey. It sweetens up the tea and also has antibacterial properties that may help you heal faster.
Chicken Soup: Chicken soup is an old remedy for a cold but it can also help soothe your throat. "The sodium in the broth may actually have anti-inflammatory properties, and it can feel good going down," Dr. Linder says.
Soup is also great when you are sick because sometimes eating is just painful. Your swollen, sore throat doesn't want to have to swallow anything. Sipping some liquid nourishment will soothe that throat and make sure you are getting the nutrients you need to fight off that infection.
Marshmallows: According to anecdotal reports, modern-day marshmallows can help ease sore throat pain, possibly because the gelatin coats and soothes. "It's not the wackiest thing in the world," Dr. Linder says. "If your throat is really swollen and it really hurts to swallow anything, I can see how something slippery and sweet like marshmallows might provide some relief."
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