Overnight "Minute" Oatmeal (steel cut)

Weekday mornings are a zoo in my household and I'm being kind by saying that. Most mornings are adrenaline-pumping hectic—like many households across the globe. My hubby and I need to get ready for the day, the kids need to be woken up to prepare for school, breakfast and lunches need to be made and packed and breakfast actually needs to be consumed! So in order to make our lives easier I do a lot of the prep work-related to our day the night before. I pack most of what I can for our lunches, the girls prepare their backpacks, coats/hats/gloves are laid out, and where I can, I like to pre-assemble breakfast. In the case of this recipe I can actually prepare breakfast the night before!

My daughters and I love oatmeal! This is a 'go-to' breakfast for us at least once or twice a week, especially in the winter time. Generally my breakfast consists of a green smoothie (recipes coming soon!) but on occasion, especially on a cold winter morning my body just doesn't want a cold smoothie and would prefer a warm, grounding meal. So what my body wants, my body gets! Over the years I've gotten better at allowing myself to listen to what I really want, instead of doing what I deem I "should be" doing. I know my green smoothies are extremely nutritious and beneficial for me, but I also know that I need to listen to my body, and eating something just because "it's healthy" when I'd rather not, isn't going to be beneficial for me in the long run. Even in the short term, actually enjoying your meal improves your digestion.  Seeing, smelling, chewing and swallowing all stimulate the secretion of digestive enzymes. The more you enjoy the meal that's before you, the more digestive enzymes your body will secrete, which translates into better break down of food and absorption of nutrients.  We all know this is the case as we salivate when our favorite meal is placed before us, and saliva, after all, contains a digestive enzyme (amylase) which helps break down carbohydrates.

This oatmeal recipe is super simple and will take one minute of your time in the evening and a few minutes in the morning to heat it up and top it the way you like.  In this particular recipe I've topped the oatmeal with cinnamon, turmeric, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, pecans and have sweetened it with coconut sugar.  Some other toppings I enjoy are apples, pears, bananas, fresh berries, raisins, dates, chia seeds, hemp hearts, shredded almonds, coconut, walnuts, pumpkin seeds and I like to sweeten it with some honey, maple syrup, sucanat or coconut sugar. I always use cinnamon, namely because I love the taste but also because it helps stabilize blood sugar, I also always use turmeric because of its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. I also always have a combination of both fruit, for added natural sweetness and nuts, to increase protein content.

Some of the health benefits of oatmeal include:

• Rich in essential minerals, in a 1/4 cup uncooked steel cut oats you'll find: manganese (96% of DV), phosphorus (29% of DV), magnesium (17% of DV) Chromiun (15% of DV), zinc (14% of DV)
• Has proven cholesterol lowering properties. Various studies have proven the beneficial effects of the special fibre found in oats (beta-glucan) on lowering cholesterol levels. High cholesterol levels are correlated with the build up of plaque in walls of blood vessels which can cause a heart attack, stroke, or blood clots in the body.
• Blood-sugar balancing properties.  Again studies correlate benefits of the beta-glucans found in oats with lowered blood glucose levels in diabetics.
• Keeps you full for a long period of time.  Often, after having oatmeal for breakfast I feel full until lunchtime and skip my mid morning snack.

Print

With ImageWithout Image

Overnight "Minute" Oatmeal (steel cut)

Yield: 1

Author: Lara

Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 1 MinTotal time: 6 Min

Have this oatmeal ready in one minute to reduce prep time from your rushed morning!

Ingredients

• Overnight oats
• 1/4 cup of steel cut oats
• 1 cup of spring or filtered water
• Pinch of sea salt
• Toppings
• 1/2 tbsp. coconut sugar
• 2 tbsp. raw pumpkin seeds
• 2 tbsp. hemp hearts
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

1. Place oatmeal, water and salt in a small saucepan and boil for one minute.
2. Remove the oatmeal from heat, cover and leave overnight.
3. In the morning add some water or milk of your choice and reheat.
4. Place in a bowl and serve with toppings.
5. Enjoy!

Notes:

 

Created using The Recipes Generator