With berries & macadamias.
Love hot oatmeal or crispy cereal in the morning?
Unfortunately, oatmeal’s not the superfood many claim it to be, especially the manufacturers. To speed the cooking process instant versions are stripped of the grain’s outer casing which contained the only real nutritional value – a few grams of fiber -then typically doused in sugar. With 43 grams carbs, 18 grams coming from sugar, (yes, table sugar is the second ingredient, not fructose or another natural sugar), that packet of Quaker Golden Brown Sugar Oatmeal Express is essentially 200 nutritionally worthless calories. The 5 grams of protein are dominantly contributed by the soy added during the enriching process common to breads and cereals, and you know soy is linked with elevated body fat percentage, estrogen levels and breast cancer. Don’t pat yourself on the back for downing a bowl of instant oatmeal. The 10-20% of several essential nutrients proudly claimed on the nutrition info label are listed in the ingredients, demonstrating these did not naturally in the food. Get your vitamins and minerals where they naturally occur in fruits, veggies, lean meats and fish, and are more easily absorbed and utilized by your body. Take a multi-vitamin as a back up plan.
Don’t get me started on how processed that sugary cereal is.
Alternatively, red quinoa contributes 6 grams of natural, soy free protein and 2-3 grams of fiber. Nuts, flaxseeds and milk solidify this protein power breakfast delivering a full 16 grams per serving!
INGREDIENTS:
1 apple
½ banana
½ cup cooked red quinoa
¼ cup unsalted nuts such as slivered almonds or walnut pieces
1 tbsp roasted flaxseeds
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp allspice or pumpkin pie spice
½ cup low fat milk or lactose free milk
DIRECTIONS:
In cereal bowl, place diced fruit, cooked quinoa, unsalted nuts, flaxseeds, vanilla, spices, and milk. Stir and enjoy cold or microwave covered for about a minute for a hot breakfast.
Alternatively, you can substitute 1 to 1.5 cups of your favorite fruit for the apple and banana. Berries are delicious! Avoid citrus fruits as they will curdle the milk.
| Calories | Carbs | Fat | Protein | Sugar | Sodium | |
| Oatmeal Alternative Quinoa | 315 | 43 | 8 | 8 | 21 | 42 |
| McDonalds Oatmeal | 290 | 57 | 5 | 5 | 32 | 160 |
