Oats are one of the healthiest foods out there,with many benefits to your body, courtesy of their high percentage of protein, fiber, and large amounts of vitamins. They are also whole grain, and the oats themselves are gluten free, although it is safer to get specifically gluten free oats as the normal kind can get contaminated with gluten during the packaging or growing process. Oats are good for practically everything, with very little negative side effects, and that is why they are one of the most prominent foods in the health industry.
Before we give you some of the simplest oat recipes, let’s go over some of the more specific benefits of eating oats.
- Oats Can Increase Blood Sugar Control - Oats may lower blood sugar levels, which is especially valuable to people with type 2 diabetes.They can also decrease insulin sensitivity.
- Oatmeal Increases Feeling of Fullness - Oatmeal is very filling, and has a very low calorie count considering how many nutrients are in it. This can help you lose weight by consuming less calories and staying full for longer.
- Oats are Very Nutritious - Oats are a great source of protein and fiber, and are loaded with vitamins and minerals. Half a cup of dry oats contains a high percentage of manganese, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, iron, vitamin B, and more.
There are many more health benefits to oats that we won’t be listing in this blog, so we encourage you to do some more research if you are curious.
1. Overnight Oats
This is an incredibly simple recipe. All you need to do is mix oats with some water or milk, and then put them in the fridge overnight. The oats will absorb all of the liquid, leaving you with a much softer texture. You can mix this with practically anything, leading to this recipe being very flexible when it comes to flavor, and super easy to make for a quick breakfast. Some examples of things you can mix in with your overnight oats are peanut butter, cocoa powder, berries, chopped up fruit, chia seeds, yogurt, or anything else you would like to have them with.
2. Baked Oats
Baked oats take more effort to make than overnight oats, but I promise that they're worth it. They can be used as a healthy substitute cake, but I think that it’s better to see them as their own food, rather than a substitute for anything else. Making baked oats is similar to baking anything else, and there’s lots of different recipes out there, the most common ones adding cocoa powder to the oats to make them more chocolaty. You can also make them in a mug just for yourself, or in a pan to share with others later. You can top baked oats with fruit, chocolate chips, honey, or even more oats.
Image credits: @feelgoodfoodie and @kellycarternutrition
Simple Baked Oats Recipe
https://feelgoodfoodie.net/recipe/baked-oats/
Ingredients
- Rolled Oats
- One Egg Substitute
- One Banana
- Maple Syrup
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Cocoa Powder
- Place all the ingredients in a blender.
- Once the ingredients are completely blended together and the end result is liquidy, pour the oat mixture into a greased oven safe pan or bowl.
- Bake until you can insert a toothpick and it comes out clean.
3. Oat Smoothies
We were pretty surprised when we found out that you can make oat smoothies, but it seems like a really fun way to eat oats. Oatmeal will make your smoothie thicker and more filling, and it will add many of its own nutrients to your drink as well. Making an oat smoothie is as simple as blending your oats until they are ground up into a powder, and adding them to your regular smoothie.
4. Oat Pancakes
We think that everyone has heard of the classic oatmeal cookies, but oat pancakes are a lot less common. This is another very simple recipe that only requires you add your oats to your usual pancake batter and stir it in. It doesn’t affect your pancakes fluffiness at all, and makes the pancakes themselves healthier, and more filling, keeping your energy high for much longer than normal pancakes would.
5. Savory Oatmeal
Oatmeal is a classic breakfast, commonly referred to as porridge. This specific kind of oatmeal however is savory, rather than sweet. For this reason you want to make sure that any oatmeal packets you could be using are flavorless, or at the very least unsweetened. You would make savory oats the same way you would make the sweet kind, minus the sugar. Instead you can add salt, other seasoning, avocado, tofu, bacon, sausage, or anything else you would like to have it with. Savory oatmeal is also one of the few ways you can make oatmeal for dinner, as most of the sweet kind isn’t exactly what most people would want to eat before bed.
Savory Oatmeal Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
- 4 sliced mushrooms
- 1 tsp vegan butter
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1/2 cup spinach
- Add the butter, ginger, and garlic to a saucepot. Saute over medium heat for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms and continue to saute until the mushrooms have wilted a bit.
- Add the vegetable broth to the saucepot, and then bring the heat up to medium-high.
- When the broth reaches a boil add the rolled oats and mix until combined. After the mixture has started to boil again, lower the heat to medium-low, and allow the oats to simmer for a few more minutes.
- After the oats have thickened, add your spinach along with the toasted sesame oil.
- Add any seasoning to your liking.