I don’t often eat oatmeal, but when I do, it has berries in it. That’s no lie. I really don’t eat it all the time. It’s like shocking confessions of a dietitian.
It’s definitely a food I recommend if you want to lower your cholesterol or simply just get more fiber, I just don’t eat it all the time…and every time I make it, I wonder why I don’t make it more often. So many foods, so many limits on how much I can eat in one setting.
All oats are good oats. These just happen to be steel cut, but truth be told, I have quick oats, rolled oats, and steel cut oats in my house right now. I buy the low sugar quick oatmeal packets for my kids and the rolled oats for baking. Steel cut oats take a little longer to cook, so they aren’t something I make all the time.
I have been thinking and writing a lot about fiber lately and while I’m sure I’m getting enough, I have been trying to add a little more everyday. I stick with the rules of adding fiber though: don’t increase too quick and drink water to keep it moving.
I also try and snack on berries a few times a week. It gets harder in the winter time, because they are not in season, so frozen berries are the perfect (and cheaper) substitute. Berries are full of antioxidants and I really eat them to calm down my inflamed joints (yes, I know I’m not THAT old yet, but my knees…). It’s a team effort of good nutrition, exercise, and stretching.
If you’re wondering how to increase the nutrient density (better nutrition relative to the calories you’re taking in) of your diet, a breakfast (or snack) like this will do it.
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Cinnamon Steel Cut Oatmeal with Blueberries
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
Ingredients
1.5 cups water
pinch kosher salt (seriously a small amount, like 1/16 of a teaspoon)
1/2 cup steel cut oats
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2/3 cup blueberries
2 tablespoons maple syrup
Optional: unsweetened coconut chips
Instructions
In a small saucepan over high heat, add water and salt.
Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to simmer and add oats and cinnamon.
Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. When it has absorbed almost all of the water, turn off the heat and let it rest for 2-3 minutes.
Divide into 2 bowls, add 1/3 cup blueberries and 1 tablespoon maple syrup to each bowl – coconut chips are optional.
Serve warm or keep in the refrigerator until ready to eat.
I make this recipe, but with a different method. Cooking steel cut oats is a messy job, but I eat this every morning, so I use a crock pot. I measure enough oats and liquids (fat free milk and some water) to make 4 servings, set it on “warm” and let it cook overnight. I either add the cinnamon at the beginning of this process, or just before eating. I also add the blueberries (fresh or frozen) just before eating. To sweeten the oats, I add a little stevia. Other options for toppings are chopped apples, raisins and chopped walnuts or pecans. Delish.
Using the slow cooker is such a smart idea.
I have become addicted to a variant of this recipe that includes:
1/2 cup oatmeal
1 scoop of protein powder
Cinnamon to taste
Nutmeg to taste
chopped pecans
blueberries
The closest thing to a healthy blueberry cobbler I have ever found!
I love the addition of protein powder!