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Seriously delicious grain free (Whole 30) “oatmeal.” You’ll want to try this healthy bowl whether you’re avoiding grains or not!
**Originally posted in December 2014
This recipe probably seems horribly out of place smack dab in the middle of the holidays amid the recipes for fudge, truffles, and Christmas cookies! Have no fear– plenty of those are around the corner, I promise.
But after a weekend of serious Thanksgiving feasting and junk food snacking (at least that’s how it was for me), I thought we could possibly all use a quick little detour to something more on the healthy side. Although don’t be fooled by its wholesome appearance– this bowl of goodness lacks nothing in the taste department!
In fact, it’s so good that I make this recipe frequently for my own meals and snacks, despite the fact that I have no problem with eating actual oatmeal (the grain kind ;). I’m not on any special kind of diet at all, as a matter of fact– grain-free or otherwise. But this “oatmeal” is so delicious that I can’t remember the last time I’ve eaten regular oatmeal over this version! It’s sweet and a little crunchy, and it’s full of wonderful, wholesome foods that are great for your body.
I got this recipe from my friend Shanna (she posts healthy eating tips on her Instagram feed @realistically_nutritious), who was doing Whole 30 at the time. So for those of you who are doing Whole 30 or have similar eating styles, this is the perfect way to satisfy your sweet tooth while staying compliant!
I also love that it’s so easy to make. Simply place most of the ingredients into the food processor (an apple, a date, coconut, almonds, and chia seeds), and pulse the mixture until it looks…. well, like oatmeal! Add add a dollop (or a drizzle 😉 of almond butter, annnnnnnnnd……….
…a splash of milk! I’ve used almond milk in the past, and it works just fine. But lately I’ve been really into Silk Cashew Milk. It’s extra creamy, which is perfect in this recipe! After you mix together the “oats” and the almond butter, the mixture sort of absorbs the milk, and it becomes soft and oatmeal-like (except for the bits of almond, which stay deliciously crunchy).
And as an added bonus– besides making the “oatmeal” lusciously creamy, I love that the Silk Cashew Milk also keeps the calorie count down… so I can pile on the almond butter without too much guilt. YUM!
Whether you’re on a special diet or not, I hope you give this crunchy, creamy, sweet, NUTRITIOUS recipe a try! I promise, you’re going to love it. Like, love it love it.
Grain-free "Oatmeal"
Yield: 1 serving
Seriously delicious grain free oatmeal. You'll want to try this healthy bowl whether your avoiding grains or not!
Ingredients
1/2 medium apple or 1 small apple
1 date
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp unsweetened coconut
1 heaping tbsp slivered almonds
almond butter for topping
splash of Silk Cashew Milk
Instructions
Cut the apple and the date into small pieces* (they don't need to be teeny-tiny, just a quick chop will do), and place them in a small food processor. Add the chia seeds, coconut, and almonds.
Pulse mixture until grainy and oatmeal-like.
Spoon the mixture into a bowl and top with almond butter and milk. Stir together and eat!
Notes
*You don't HAVE to do this, since you'll be putting the ingredients into a food processor after all. But I have a weird thing with certain textures, and I can't STAND having large chunks of dates in this recipe. Giving the date a quick, rough chop before the food processor allows the date to be finely chopped in processing without over-processing the rest of the ingredients.
Note: a serving of this recipe may not look like a big enough portion at first glanced, but I'm surprised each and every time I make it by how filling and satisfying one, small portion is!
Be sure to sign up at silk.com/signup to get the Silk eNewsletter with latest news and an instant coupon! And be sure to stop by the Silk Facebook page to let them know what you think about their brand new Cashew Milk!
This conversation is sponsored by Silk. The opinions and text are all mine.
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Nuts and seeds can be a great grain-free substitute for oatmeal if you're following a paleo diet. In addition to being rich in heart-healthy fats, fiber, and protein, foods like almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, and pecans are all high in plenty of essential vitamins and minerals ( 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ).
Since yogurt, cereal, toast, and even oatmeal are off the table, breakfast tends to be the toughest meal on the program. A few of us here at Greatist HQ completed the Whole30, so we can attest to that. Eggs get old — fast.
A grain-free diet eliminates all grains, including wheat, spelt, barley, rye, dried corn, millet, rice, and oats, as well as foods — and sometimes even ingredients — that are made from them.
According to the official Whole30® website, once those 30 days are up, it's up to you to “carefully and systematically reintroduce those foods you've been missing”.
While oat milk offers numerous nutritional benefits and has gained popularity as a non-dairy alternative, it is not considered compliant with the Whole30 diet due to its inclusion of grains. However, there are alternative non-dairy milks available that adhere to the principles of the program.
No grains. While plenty of diets restrict simple carbs, Whole30 eliminates even whole grains. This means no wheat, corn, oats, bran, or even brown rice. It also forbids pseudo-cereal grains, including amaranth, buckwheat, and protein-rich quinoa.
Ghee, a type of clarified butter that has roots in South Asian cooking, is also Whole30-approved for the same reason. The difference between ghee and clarified butter basically comes down to cooking time, and the longer cooking time of ghee causes this type of clarified butter to have a sweeter taste.
Almond Breeze doesn't have the shortest ingredient list, but everything on it is Whole30-compliant. You better believe it: There are zero grams of sugar in this unsweetened vanilla nut milk. Almonds + cashews = less calories than traditional almond milk. The addition of cashews makes this blend super creamy.
Did you know that oats in oatmeal are packed with lectins which poke holes in your gut lining and can lead to health issues in the future, according to Dr. Gundry. One great way to avoid this is by using sorghum in your breakfast bowl rather than oats.
Lectins are reduced by cooking and further reduced by soaking and then cooking. Soaking is simple to do, place the desired amount of oatmeal into a cooking pot 10-12 hours before you plan on preparing the oatmeal. Cover it with water, and add a little lemon juice or vinegar to reduce phytic acid (another gut irritant).
Oats are naturally gluten-free however, during farming, transportation and storage, gluten-containing grains like wheat, rye and barley may be unintentionally introduced. Quaker gluten-free oat products are clearly labeled on packages and available in stores under the Quaker Select Starts line.
Some good choices for whole grains are amaranth, buckwheat, millet, quinoa, and teff. Some other foods that are nutrient-packed and provide a good source of complex carbohydrate are beans, lentils, potatoes and sweet potatoes, as well as oats, rye, barley, peas and soy.
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Introduction: My name is Cheryll Lueilwitz, I am a sparkling, clean, super, lucky, joyous, outstanding, lucky person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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