I
had been experimenting with oatmeal dishes for quite a while. I have eaten
oatmeal for breakfast for quite some time, playing with different ways to make
it. During my first year at college I got into the habit of eating a bowl of
dry oats with almond milk and nutritional yeast every morning. I forget how I
discovered this exactly. I think I may have been too lazy to continue using my
roommate’s portable kettle to heat water to actually cook the oats, or maybe I
was just in the mood for cereal, but had none, and then somehow decided that
nutritional yeast would work in this mixture as well. Either way I was hooked
on this dish for months.
By
the time I arrived back home, however, my taste buds were searching for
something different. I also needed to find a breakfast that was more filling
because once at home for the summer I returned to my job at a bakery in a farm
store called Moulton Farm. At the bakery I begin work at either 5 or 6 in the
morning and do not take many breaks throughout the day. I am also on my feet,
moving around for most of the day and I found that my usual breakfast was not
sustaining me for a long period of time. I would often end up eating my lunch
at 7 or 8 in the morning and not have much food left for the rest of the day.
During
high school I used to make my oatmeal with just raisins, cinnamon, honey (from
my grandmother’s bees, which I have also helped tend so I know they are treated
humanely), and sometimes peanut butter. This was very good, but did not fill me
up as much either when I tried it again that summer. I also try not to add too
much unnecessary sugar to my diet. If foods taste good enough without sugar,
why add it? And I knew a satisfying dish of oatmeal could be delicious in many
ways without adding sugar. I just needed to find one.
Through researching food, browsing the Nutrition Center on the main street in my town, and remembering what a friend said once while we were hiking, I decided to try hemp seeds. These seeds claim to be a super food full of complete proteins, healthy fats, nutrients (see
here and especially
here), and sustain a consumer for hours, even an entire day. My friend had said that she made hemp granola in order to “get the most amount of calories in the least amount of food” because when hiking, that matters quite a bit.
Hemp
seeds, I learned, were rather tasteless and could be added to just about
anything. They also held true to their claims as they were indeed quite
filling.
I
then thought I’d try them along with some dry oats, raisins, cinnamon, and
unsweetened vanilla almond milk for added flavor and nutrients. And it was
delicious. I’ve had it every morning since, with the exception of the
occasional attempt at a new pancake recipe on my mornings off haha.
This
dish can either be made ahead of time, which allows the oats to soak for a
while and become easier to digest, or prepared just before consumption.
Whatever works for you! I’ve eaten it both ways and both are quite tasty.
Ingredients
- ½ cup oats (use GF if necessary)
- 2 Tbs. hemp seeds*
- 1 Tbs. raisins
- 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
- ½ cup unsweetened vanilla almond
milk
Instructions
1. Add
all dry ingredients into your favorite breakfast bowl.
2. Add milk.
3. Let sit overnight
4. Enjoy a nice,
filling, sweet without being sweetened bowl of oats!
Notes
*I no longer promote eating grains, but I have left this up for those who still enjoy meals which include grains.
A
variation of this dish is my Carrot Cake “Oatmeal”, which includes about
a tablespoon or two of shredded carrots and half a banana, sliced, in addition
to the other ingredients.