This bowl of oatmeal is like no other! It is decadent and oh so delicious. Over the past few months I have really been enjoying coconut sugar. I add it to just about everything. This recipe has been perfect the last few weeks as it is getting quite cold and nothing warms you up like a bowl of hot oatmeal!

This recipe is quick and easy, which is what I have been needing in life lately. Life is busy, so it can be hard to stay on track with healthy eating and a balanced life. But it is possible with a little planning (: Myself and my partner Bernd have just returned from our 3 week holiday in Ireland and the UK. It was magical and I am busy working on my travel post with lots of tips on traveling and keeping the balance. This quick bowl of oats comes in handy while travelling, what a way to gain the strength and energy to carry you through a morning of walking and sightseeing than with a steaming bowl of freshly cooked oatmeal.

So a bit about Oats , it is a hardy cereal grain. Oats get most  of their distinctive flavor from the roasting process that happens after being harvested and cleaned. Although oats are then hulled, this process does not strip away their bran and germ allowing them to retain a concentrated source of their fiber and nutrients. I recommend using Oat groats or Steel-cut oats as they are the least processed. If you purchase prepared oatmeal products such as oatmeal, look at the ingredients to ensure that the product does not contain any salt, sugar or other additives.

Oats come in many different forms and ways you can use them:

• Oat groats: unflattened kernels that are good for using as a breakfast cereal
• Steel-cut oats: featuring a dense and chewy texture, they are produced by running the grain through steel blades that thinly slices them.
• Old-fashioned oats: have a flatter shape that is the result of their being steamed and then rolled.
• Quick-cooking oats: processed like old-fashioned oats, except they are cut finely before rolling
• Instant oatmeal: produced by partially cooking the grains and then rolling them very thin. Oftentimes, sugar, salt and other ingredients are added to make the finished product.
• Oat bran: the outer layer of the grain that resides under the hull. While oat bran is found in rolled oats and steel-cut oats, it may also be purchased as a separate product that can be added to recipes or cooked to make a hot cereal.
• Oat flour: used in baking, it is oftentimes combined with wheat or other gluten-containing flours when making leavened bread.

Some amazing benefits of eating Oats:

• Enhance the immune response to infection
• Helps to lower Cholesterol Levels
• Increase appetite control-hormone
• stabilize blood sugar
• The fibre from whole-grains and fruit help protect against breast cancer
• Oats may help reduce the risk of Type 2 Diabetes                    

Enough about how good they are for us, lets eat em! (;

Ingredients: *Use organic where possible

2 Cups boiling water
1 Cup Oats
1/4 tsp Himalayan Salt
1/4 Cup Coconut Sugar
1/3 Cup Coconut Cream

*Optional: Pecan nuts and banana to top

Directions:

In a medium size saucepan, pour in boiling water, then add your oats and salt, stir for 3- 5 minutes on medium heat. Then add your coconut cream and coconut sugar and stir for a further 5 minutes, or until cooked and creamy. Place into bowl and add your pecans and banana on top! And that’s it. So quick , easy and oh so delicious. Let me know what you think! This is definitely my favourite breakfast at the moment.

So much love!