Do you like what you eat? Does the way you eat work for you? I like my diet, but I’m afraid it isn’t working for me. So, I’m considering a change. That’s the thing about diet. It is very personal. What works for me may not work for you.
That’s the thing about diet. It is very personal. What works for me may not work for you.
I am and will always be a proponent of plant-based diets, even though it doesn’t seem to be working for me right now. It might not work for you either and if so, there are other choices.
The healthiest eating plans include real, fresh food, prepared at home with lots of fresh vegetables. If you do that, you are eating good food that is good for you.
Whether you include fruit, whole grains, or lean, quality meats is a matter of personal preference.
Some diets demonize grains. If your diet doesn’t include grains and that is working for you, don’t change. At the moment, I am eating and enjoying whole grains, especially oatmeal.
It is tasty, healthy and quick. And, with so many different ways prepare it you should have no problem eating it every day.
Scientific data suggests that people who regularly eat oatmeal are healthier and weigh less. If you want additional data on the benefits of oatmeal, look here and here.
Not the instant, pre-sweetened crap that comes in a packet, but rolled or steel cut oats. As often happens with our food, a big food company took a healthy, tasty ingredient, processed it, removed a lot of the good stuff and added sugar. Unprocessed rolled oats have protein, fiber, and no added sugar.
Stovetop oats
You can make the old favorite oatmeal, which doesn’t take much time, by cooking rolled oats in a liquid of your choice. My favorite is coconut milk, but you can also use water, cow’s milk, soy milk, or any of the other non-dairy nut milk. The ratio of liquid to oats is about 2 to 1, with adjustment up or down based on preference.
I also add dates, dried figs, shredded coconut, ground flax seed, almonds, cashews, and cinnamon. Sometimes I add cocoa and peanut butter. It’s delicious. The dates and figs are sweet enough I do not need any additional sugar. It’s satisfying and filling.
Chopped dates and dried figs
Another delicious way to prepare oats is by soaking overnight. It is essentially the same ingredients as the stovetop- oats, dates, figs, coconut, flax and chia seeds, nuts and cinnamon soaked in coconut milk overnight. It does require some forethought and preparation the night before. I usually prepare 2-3 large mason jars at a time which provide breakfast for both my husband and I all week. I prefer this way to the stovetop method, but I don’t always remember to get it together the night before.
Look here for another 50 overnight oats recipes.
Another way to prepare oats is granola. Also quite easy. Takes some time to bake but it’s not active time, and a batch can last for several weeks if you don’t eat it all in one sitting. It’s so good you might want to. My favorite recipe is Almond Joy. I use coconut oil, dark cocoa powder and a little honey for a sweetener. I also add all the other things from the above methods-dates, figs, coconut, flax and chia, and nuts. So good.
I started with the recipe here, at a website called the Lemon Bowl.
I doubled the amount of rolled oats, honey, and coconut. I tripled the amount of cocoa powder and coconut oil. In addition to almonds, I added dates, figs, cashews, ground flax and chia seeds.
Almond Joy Granola
INGREDIENTS:
6 cups rolled oats
1-2 cups chopped almonds and cashews
1 cup shredded coconut
2/3 cup honey
3/4 cup coconut oil
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1-2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-2 cups chopped dates and figs
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
Grease pan with coconut oil or olive oil.
Mix oats, nuts and shredded coconut in a bowl.
Heat honey, coconut oil and cocoa powder in a small saucepan over medium heat until the oil melts and is well combined.
Remove chocolate mixture from heat and pour over oat mixture.
Spread evenly on a baking sheet and bake for 45-50 minutes. Stirring once or twice.
Let cool.
Mix in chopped dates and figs.
Enjoy.
Transfer what you don’t eat right away to an airtight container. It will keep for several weeks.
Do you eat whole grains? Is your diet working for you? Let me know in the comments. As I said at the beginning, I am working on making some changes. I’m interested to know what works or doesn’t work for others.
Hi Kate, I like your oatmeal suggestions, but there is no indication of an appropriate single serving size or # of calories. I suspect it is a high calorie dish and because it is good I will eat way too much. Ann
Hi Ann, Thanks for your comments. I have never been interested or able to count calories. I try to go on satiety signals. I don’t think any of the recipes should be that high in calories. One of the benefits of plant-based food is that it is nutrient dense, not calorie dense. The fiber and protein should fill you up. And with the stovetop or overnight oats, there is no added sugar. I think a reasonable serving size would be about 1/2 cup of oats and another 1/2 cup of the nuts, coconut, and dates. But like I said, I usually make a large mason jar, eat until I’m full, and it lasts for 3-4 days. I probably eat more than you do :).