This is a nice recipe to have on hand for a slow Sunday morning if you’re looking for something delicious, hearty and rib-sticking. I like to prepare a double batch and keep it in the fridge to grab for a quick breakfast once I get to work. It’s really comforting to have a healthy and hot breakfast on a cold winter morning. Plus the little bit of fruit gives it a touch of sweet while adding a vitamin boost. Add a touch of honey, too, if you’re not sticking to the vegan version. You’ll need:
You’ll need:
- 2-3qt pot
- Steel Cut Oats (traditional or gluten free versions are available)
- Milk of choice (I used Almond Milk)
- Fruit of choice
- Honey (optional)
If you have Celiac Disease or gluten sensitivities you’ll want to spring for the confirmed gluten free oats — they say so right on the box. Even though technically most oats are gluten free, they can come in contact with contaminants in the field while being grown or in the factory where they are processed. By purchasing the gluten free kind, you are limiting your chance of exposure to any digestive triggers.
Just a heads-up — you’ll want to make sure you have time for this recipe. Steel cut oats are the least processed of all the breakfast oat cereals. They are the most complex and whole of the oat family which not only lends to their chewy and hearty texture, but also makes them the most complete form of fiber for your body. Just a single serving contains 4g of dietary fiber, 5g of protein, 40mg of magnesium, 1.5mg of iron, as well as potassium and phosphorus! Long story short — it can take 45+ minutes to cook depending on the texture you prefer. I’m at high altitude and prefer my oats to be a little less soupy and more like traditional oatmeal, so I plan for at least 30 minutes of cooking and 15-20 minutes of resting.
I put my oats and almond milk together in the pot and bring to a rolling boil. I stir quite frequently because stainless steel can scorch milk and milk-like liquids to the bottom. Milks also foam up quickly when boiling so be careful of over flows! If you’re noticing your liquid of choice foaming constantly, turn down your heat a bit.
After about 20 – 30 minutes, I like to put the lid on and remove from the direct heat and let the residual heat in the pot finish cooking the oats. This gives them the opportunity to soak up the moisture and soften nicely. Remember to stir occasionally even during this stage. This will allow you to gauge the “done-ness” of your food. Once it’s creamy and thick, spoon it into a bowl and top with your favorite fruit and honey or artificial sweetener. I tend to use frozen fruit that I’ve thawed because where I live, winter means berry prices usually triple and I like the way the juice thins out the oats.
Berries are also the preferred fruit for thyroid disease sufferers — they contain lower levels of natural fructose (less of a blood sugar spike).
Refrigerate leftovers in individual containers for a quick grab-and-go breakfast – they should stay good in the fridge for up to a week.
If you are following a very strict thyroid-reset diet like in the book I recommended in my previous post January – Thyroid Awareness Month, then you’ll want to avoid this recipe and fruit all together for the first 30 days of your transition and opt for something like Dr. Campbell’s Egg muffins on page 110 of her book — they’re also great to make ahead for a grab-and-go breakfast!
Enjoy!
Living, Loving & Crafting with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis 