Our favorite breakfast

My serving this a.m. of our brood's favorite breakfast is pictured above. Mmmmm....that makes me want another serving..but alas, all has been savored devoured by my family of 7.  Okay, maybe baby W, being a month old didn't eat any, however; I probably ate a wee bit more being he nurses every 3 hours around the clock!  He's growing quickly, I might add.  I luv chub! Rolls are adorable....why can't they be so adorable on grown-ups? 

Anyhow, back to the oatmeal. 

Why do we love oatmeal so much?  Let me count the ways......

• Very nutritious when properly prepared.....(see below.)  Full of nutrients for vibrant kiddos and grown-ups too!  Oats are a signifigant source of fiber, (the beta glucans in it lower cholesterol), helps blood sugar rise slower (aids in prevention of complications of diabetes), contains phytochemicals which are said to prevent cancer, plus many more benefits. 
• Probably the most frugal breakfast we can consume that is so full of nutrition.  I personally buy the oats in bulk which cuts the cost even less.  I buy chemical free rolled oats, or sometimes 7-grain rolled oats.  We trade off between eating the two. 
• Shown to benefit mother's milk =) (Being I'm nursing right now that's important. 
• After soaking, it takes 5 minutes to cook up!  That's my kind of breakfast.
• It's easy to adapt it to everyone's liking, cuz of it's neutral flavor.  The oats take on any flavor your family is in the mood for.  Cinnamon with diced apple?  Yummmm.  How about vanilla, sucanat, and a bit of diced banana and some chopped walnuts?  Or, maybe a dash of maple syrup with any dried fruit that pleases you at the moment and some crispy almonds.  Use whatever you have on hand, and get out a bunch of topppings, and just have fun with it! 

So, now that you know how nutritious and frugal this is, you might want to know how to do so. 

Ingredients:

3 cups uncooked rolled oats

3 cups water

2 Tbsp. lemon juice--this is needed to break down the phytic acid in the oats.  You can use apple cider vinegar instead, but we found we do not like the flavor of that.  Also, some soak in kefir, yet we wanted the least expensive option, as well as being dairy free for my daughter.

About 1/3 cup of ground whole wheat flour, sprouted wheat flour, or sprouted or regular rye flour (In the case of oats, these help to further break down the phytic acid.)

-Place oats in a bowl or jar and add water, ground flour and lemon juice. Combine and let sit for 12-24 hours.  In the morning, depending on how watery the oats are at this point, bring around a cup to a cup and a half of water to a boil, and add the oats mixture, and turn to medium heat.  Cook for 5 or so minutes. Voila!  A nutritious and quick breakfast.  (Before any toppings we sometimes add a bit of butter and/or cream or coconut cream, but always a bit of salt.)

If the phytic acid is not broken down in the oats, it makes them very hard to digest.  One thing I try to remember is to make our food as digestible as possible, so we benefit as much as possible from the nutrients in our food.  Why buy and prepare healthy food, if your body isn't digesting it properly and you're not benefiting from the nutrients?  Soaking grains, culturing dairy products (kefir, yogurt), fermented drinks (water kefir, kombucha).  All are ways we make foods much easier to digest and get the most bang for our buck. Plus, they taste wonderful!

Toppings we enjoy include:

-Dried or fresh fruits such as berries, diced apple, banana and mango.

-Chopped nuts such as walnuts, almonds and pecans.  Also, we enjoy ground flax seeds.

-Sweeteners like maple syrup, sucanat and flavorings such as vanilla and cinnamon.

 Do you desire a raw option?....this one at Love veggies and yoga sounds very yummy!  Oftentimes I'll enjoy a raw breakfast even if my family has cooked.  Same prep time....I just like to consume as much raw food as possible...yet, I definitely include nutritious cooked foods as well.

I leave you with a smile....from Miss Lady K...the "captain". 

Joy

 {This post is a part of Monday Mania at The Healthy Home Economist; Real Food Wednesday at kellythekitchencop.com; Works for me Wednesday at wearethatfamily.com Pennywise Platter at thenourishinggourmet.com Tip Day Thursday at Around My Family Table; Fight Back Friday Frugal Friday at Life as Mom}

Comments

[marcee]

According to the Weston A. Price website, adding a little rye flour to the oats in soaking increases the phytase. It doesn't add any flavor. I add sprouted organic rye flour.

[Joy Y.]

Thanks so much for that info Marcee...I have read on that and agree that would be the best way to prepare them. I have been meaning to add that into my routine, as it seems to be of benefit, and only takes a second to do. Also, ground wheat flour will work as well. About 1/3 cup probably is a good amount for this recipe. Thanks for your comment, and hope to "hear" from you again!

Joy

[Kristen S]

Thanks for posting about the proper way to prepare oatmeal! We too just had that this morning, and I am just now learning about soaking grains and such. Glad to have found you!

[Averie (LoveVeggiesAndYoga)]

Thanks for the shoutout!

your food and your family is beautiful :)

[Kelsey]

Thanks for the recipe! Is there any way to make it gluten free? I buy gluten free oats, and am wanting to soak them, but I always just see recipes with flour in them - is it okay to leave it out?

[Joy Y.]

Kristen--Thanks for the comment....I'm glad you found me too! =) I'll be glad to help any way I can...no expert here...just a mama doin' her best to nourish her family, just like you.
Averie--Appreciate your sweet words--right back at ya!
Kelsey--I think reading the article found here...
http://www.rebuild-from-depression.com/resources/book/Chapter13.pdf
might be helpful for you. Hope this helps!

Joy