Purple Oats Recipe
Raise your hand if you have ever been personally victimized by your mothers oatmeal? My mom insisted that we eat oatmeal in the morning because it was “good for us.” Well let me tell you, it definitely wasn’t good for our attitudes. We DESPISED oatmeal morning but don’t you worry, momma didn’t raise no quitter. I have been on a journey… a journey to make oatmeal great again and my purple oatmeal does just that!
Is Oatmeal Healthy?
My mom definitely wasn’t wrong in thinking that oatmeal was good for us. Though people like to turn their nose up at this satisfying breakfast staple because of its high carbohydrate content it’s time to bring oatmeal back into the breakfast spotlight for one main reason, fiber! The current recommendation is for women to consume 25g of fiber and men consume 38 grams of fiber a day, a recommendation that majority of Americans are not reaching! Oatmeal all around!!
What is Fiber?
Dietary fiber is a type of complex carbohydrate and is found in many plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains (cough oatmeal cough), beans, legumes, and nuts! Unlike other components of our food, fiber passes through our body undigested. Dietary fiber can be found in two forms: soluble and insoluble. The difference between these two types is the way that the fiber interacts with water in our digestive system which is a difference to get into on another blog. One important thing to note about fiber is that as you increase your fiber intake you absolutely must increase your fluid intake or else your new found love for fiber will cause some pretty extreme GI blockage and discomfort. For today’s blog it’s important to know that oatmeal contains soluble fiber. Soluble fiber has been linked to a variety of health benefits but is most known for it’s ability to lower cholesterol and regulate blood sugar levels. All in all, oatmeal is a good breakfast option and we should explore it more.
Now that the formalities are out of the way, let’s briefly talk about my purple oatmeal. It gets it’s purple color from the frozen blueberries that are mixed in but you can use fresh or frozen! Also, I HIGHLY recommend using milk in your oatmeal. Not only does this add creaminess but it also increases the protein content which will help us stay fuller for longer. I used 1% milk but you can use whichever one makes your heart happy. The most beautiful thing about this colorful oatmeal is that it is fiber rich, loaded with antioxidants, ready in under 5 minutes, and tastes so good you may even forget about the scarring experiences you had with your mothers oatmeal! Let’s dig in!
Purple Oatmeal
Ingredients
Instructions
- Place your oats, milk, frozen blueberries, and cinnamon into a medium sauce pan. Warm over medium heat, stirring regularly until all of the milk is absorbed (~5 minutes).
- Place your purple oatmeal in a bowl and top with a drizzle of honey and your slivered almonds. Enjoy!
- Place your oats, milk, frozen blueberries, and cinnamon into a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 2 ½ minutes but keep an eye on it so that it does not overflow!! Be careful when taking it out of the microwave as the bowl will be very hot.
- Top your purple oatmeal with a drizzle of honey and your slivered almonds. Enjoy!
Hey! I’m Lauren
I’m a Registered Dietitian and busy toddler mom committed to bringing you delicious, nutritious, and easy to make recipes!