Please sir, may I have some more?

Breakfast is by far my favorite meal. While I find that there is nothing better than a poached egg, sometimes I need to switch things up and eat oatmeal. The best part is that oats come in all different shapes and sizes and can be topped with all different sorts of ingredients, thus you never get the opportunity to get bored.

As a child, I grew up eating McCann’s Irish Steel Cut Oats.  Steel cut oats are whole grain groats (the inner portion of the oat kernel) which have been cut into two or three pieces using steel discs.  These oats are full of nutritional value; high in fiber while containing no sodium or cholesterol. Soluble fiber from oatmeal, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease.  Because I have a fond memory of making steel cut oats in the morning with my mom, this is my preferred kind of oatmeal to make.  Although steel cut oats take a while to cook, I decided to put a twist on my favorite classic.  By incorporating steel cut oats with rolled oats, this recipe ended up having a more substantial texture than your average rolled oats.  The recipe is as follows!

Matcha Oats 

1 cup of McCann’s Irish Steel Cut Oats

1/2 cup of standard rolled oats

2 scoops of Trader Joe’s Matcha Green Tea Mix

Blueberries

Granny Smith Apple, sliced

Chia Seeds

Cook the Irish Steel Cut Oats to the instructions in the back.  Because they have to be cooked for 30 min, add the rolled oats at the last 5 min as well as the Matcha Green Tea.  Keep in mind that the steel cut oats will be more al dente than the rolled oats.  Once the oats are cooked, top with blueberries, apples and chia seeds.  Enjoy!

The blueberries are right out of my dad’s garden and were relatively tart along with the apples.  Because the Matcha is sweet, the fruit is a nice contrast to the delightful oatmeal.

One of my other favorite “oatmeals” is made with cinnamon scented quinoa.  I say “cinnamon scented” because I added cinnamon sticks to the boiling water that the quinoa is being cooked with. Even though it’s actually a seed, quinoa is cooked like a grain.  One of quinoa’s main nutritional advantages is its high protein content, containing more protein per serving than oatmeal.  Below is one of my all-time favorite breakfast quinoa recipes that is a nice twist on a normal oatmeal!

Cinnamon Scented Quinoa

1 cup of Trader Joe’s Tricolor Quinoa

1 cinnamon stick

1 packet of Trader Joe’s Omega Trek Mix Handful

1/2 of a banana, sliced

blueberries

chia seeds

maple syrup

Cook the quinoa according to directions on the back.  Make sure to rinse the quinoa before cooking.  While cooking, add the cinnamon stick.  Once cooked, discard cinnamon stick and top with the listed ingredients or whatever type of ingredients you may like.  Enjoy!

The best part about these recipes is that you really have the freedom to top the oats and quinoa with whatever topping you may prefer! I like to add almond milk occasionally as well as honey.  Use these recipes as a base for toppings of your choice and enjoy! Remember, starting your day off with oats will keep you full and help reduce your risk of heart disease.  Keep your heart healthy and happy and enjoy!

xoxo Sarah

July 6, 2015July 6, 2015 by Sarah Hoski Categories: Breakfast, Fruit, Healthy, Oatmeal, Organic, Trader Joe's, Vegan, VegetarianTags: Breakfast, Chia, Fruit, Healthy, Organic, Trader Joe's, Vegan, Vegetarian 2 Comments

Just A Spoonful of Yogurt

It is safe to say that most people love yogurt.  It comes in all different shapes, sizes and flavors and is the go-to snack for a vast majority of people.  While I am one of those people that love to snack on yogurt, I sometimes get bored with the same fruit flavors that can be found at your local grocery store.  Recently, however, while shopping at my local health food store I came across a few brands that have dared to branch out in the flavor department.  Instead of using fruits to flavor their yogurt, they have used vegetables and have created a line for adventurous people like myself.  Thus, this blog post is all about the brands of yogurt that I had the courage to try and the wonderful topping choices that can turn any yogurt into a full meal.

Yogurt has got power boosting protein and bone-building calcium that can help you lose weight as well as fighting off a cold. Below are 5 fun facts about yogurt that you might not know about.

1. Yogurt can give you flat abs. By eating 18 ounces a day, you can drop a jean size.  When you eat yogurt, the calcium signals your fat cells to pump out less cortisol, making it easier for you to drop pounds, while the amino acids help burn fat.

2. Yogurt is loaded with vitamins. One serving contains a significant source of potassium, phosphorous, riboflavin, iodine, zinc, and vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid). Yogurt also has B12, which maintains red blood cells and helps keep your nervous system functioning properly.

3. Most brands of yogurt contain “good for you” bacteria.  The words “live and active cultures” on the container mean that your yogurt has probiotics, beneficial bugs that live in your digestive tract and help crowd out harmful microorganisms that can cause intestinal infections.

4. A cup of yogurt can help you recover faster after a work out.  With the right ratio of protein to carbohydrates, yogurt, particularly high-protein Greek yogurt, makes an excellent post-sweat-session snack.

5. Yogurt is a high protein food!

If those 5 little facts about yogurt still do not make you want to go into your fridge and grab a little container of it, I promise these easy recipes definitely will! They can be enjoyed anytime of the day, for breakfast or for a quick snack, and will most certainly keep your tastebuds wanting more!

Butternut Squash and Almond Butter

1 container of Blue Hill Butternut Squash Yogurt

1 Single Serve Packet of Justin’s Classic Almond Butter

Honey

Sliced Almonds

Chia Seeds

Because the Butternut Squash is a savory yogurt made with ingredients such as Maple Sugar, Cinnamon, and Nutmeg, by adding the listed ingredients it turns this yogurt into a little slice of fall.  Other than the single serving of almond butter, I do not list the serving size of the other ingredients because it is really up to you! If you like your yogurt to be rather sweet, add more honey.  If you like it to have some substance, than add as much chia seeds and almonds as you like!

This yogurt is listed as having live active cultures, thus it has the “good for you” bacteria.  The almond butter and almonds add an extra serving of protein that will keep you feeling full throughout the day!

A Slice of Pumpkin Pie

1 single container of Noosa Pumpkin Yoghurt

Honey

Pumpkin Seeds

2 Tablespoons of Power Blend – Coconut Goji

Once again, add all ingredients to your yogurt and add as much of the honey and pumpkin seeds as you like.  However, this yogurt is definitely like eating a slice of pumpkin pie.  Thus I would taste a little before adding honey because it is already sweet.

Noosa Yoghurt is made the Aussie way.  They take inspiration from the Greeks and make a nice thick yogurt but add honey for sweetness. PowerBlend – Coconut Goji is an all natural, Organic, gluten and GMO free, whole-food energy source. A delicious OMEGA 3 BLEND of Pumpkin Seeds, Hemp Seeds, Chia Seeds, Milled Flax Seeds And Spices.  The omegas are good for clarity and focus of the brain and the fiber helps contribute to a healthy heart and circulatory system.

If you like the flavors that both yogurt companies have to offer, you should definitely check out other flavors! For the Blue Hill yogurt, which is 100% grass-fed cows, I certainly recommend the  Sweet Potato flavor! As for the Noosa Yoghurt, the Coconut is fabulous!

Now keep the fun facts in mind and start adding yogurt to your diet! It is a great way to stay full throughout the day and can be enjoyed in so many different ways!

xoxo Sarah

July 1, 2015July 2, 2015 by Sarah Hoski Categories: Breakfast, Coconut, Gluten Free, Healthy, Hemp Seeds, Pumpkin, Recipes, Vegetarian, YogurtTags: Breakfast, Butternut Squash, Chia, Gluten Free, Healthy, Omegas, Pumpkin, Yogurt 1 Comment