Sunday, October 13, 2013
Pumpkin Pie Refrigerator Oatmeal
As I'm sure you might be wondering - what is refrigerator oatmeal? It's an easy, no-cook oatmeal that is healthy, nutritious and can be made ahead for grab-and-go convenience! The oatmeal is made in individual mason jars (a perfect individual serving size) and is eaten straight from the refrigerator (great for those mornings when you're on the run). Also, this breakfast is high in calcium and protein, while being low in sugar and fat. Are you sold yet?
Being someone that eats a lot for breakfast, I wasn't sure that this would be filling enough for me, but I was full for hours! One of the keys to this breakfast being so filling are the chia seeds. Chia seeds are wonderful and can be added to many different dishes. And yes, while these are the same chia seeds from those infamous Chia Pets years ago, they also have many nutritional benefits.
- Feel full: chia seeds absorb 10 times their weight in water, forming a gel-like substance (great for hydration too)
- Easier to digest: chia seeds can be more easily digested than flax seeds and don't need to be ground up to receive their nutritional benefit
- Omega-3: chia seeds are the richest plant source of Omega-3 - containing more Omega-3 than salmon!
- Balance blood sugar: chia seeds slow down the body's conversion of carbohydrates into simple sugars
- Neutral taste: chia seeds have a neutral taste so they can be added to nearly anything
I found the original recipe here and was instantly sold by the ability to play with different flavor combinations. Given that it's October, I decided to try a "pumpkin pie" flavor first. And given how much I loved this recipe, I'll be experimenting with other flavors soon!
Pumpkin Pie Refrigerator Oatmeal
(Yields 1 serving)
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup uncooked old fashioned rolled oats
- 1/3 cup skim milk
- 1/4 cup Greek yogurt (vanilla or unsweetened)
- 1 1/2 tsp. chia seeds
- 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp. ground ginger
- 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
- 2 tsp. maple syrup
- 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
Directions:
- In a small jar, add all ingredients. Put on lid and shake well until combined
- Refrigerate overnight (or up to 3 days). Eat chilled
Easy and delicious!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
where do you get the chia seeds?
ReplyDeleteSteve,
DeleteYou should be able to find chia seeds in larger grocery stores (for example, the Giant Eagle near me sells them in the baking aisle - near the flours and grains). If you can't find them in a grocery store, a health food store is a good place to look. Good luck!