Recipe Share - Spiffed Up Protein Packed Oatmeal

I hated oatmeal as a kid. When I got a little older I was ok with the flavored oatmeal packet, apple cinnamon being a favorite. As an adult, the more I learned about food and ingredients it became apparent that those little oatmeal packets were often filled with unnecessary, unhealthy ingredients.

A few years back my friend Missy turned me on to Irish Steel Cut Oatmeal. I was in love at first bite. You could keep it simple or add a complexity of nutrient packed goodies to it. (Also true for regular oats, but there's something about the texture of Irish oatmeal I love).

I thought I would share this morning's Irish oatmeal concoction.

I was making a double serving so I boiled 1 1/2 cups water and added 1/2 cup of Irish Oats. I threw in whatever delicious power foods I had in the house. This included:

A spoonful of chia seeds

A spoonful of ground flax seed

A dash of organic honey

A pinch of cinnamon

And a half a handful of shredded coconut.

After stirring and low-boiling for about 5 minutes I added a splash or two of almond milk and let it simmer just a minute or two longer (any milk will do although I stay away from dairy. Coconut milk and almond milk are my favorites).

Viola! Dish into a bowl and throw some blueberries on top to add that little bit of tang that makes oatmeal more exciting!

The chia seeds add fiber, unsaturated fats, and high quality protein. 

The flax seeds add fiber and Omega-3's.

Not to mention all the fiber you get from oatmeal along with it being a low calorie food.

My youngest loves this oatmeal. He was feeling creative and wanted to mix his with Greek yogurt. Unfortunately it was a fail :-(

He settled on plain vanilla Greek yogurt with blueberries.

Let me know if you try it and what other tasty ingredients you decide to toss in!

Happy, healthy eats!