Photo from www.fastcoexist.com
Breakfast. It is the most important meal of the day. So often the diet mentality is to put off eating as long as possible after waking. But that is far from the healthy route to take. Why?
When your body is deprived of food for long periods of time, it goes into a semi-starvation mode and can create a lot of physical, intellectual and behavioral problems. According to WebMD, skipping breakfast is strongly linked to the development of obesity. After much research, it has been found that skipping meals, especially breakfast, very often leads to overeating later in the day or gorging out late at night. These infrequent large meals can lead to weight gain. Not only does it lead to weight gain, but also the accumulation of fat.
What is the solution? Break the last 8-12 hour fast you have currently been on throughout the night with a delicious, healthy breakfast. Great options include high fiber, high protein and low sugar meals. Fiber and protein will keep you satisfied until the next meal, and less sugar will help avoid any spike in blood sugar levels. Oatmeal, fruit and yogurt parfaits and eggs with toast are good healthy choice. Remember, homemade will always be healthier than take out, so strive to plan ahead, even if it means making it the night before! Here is a sinlessly sweet oatmeal recipe to help you get excited for breakfast.
I also created a different overnight oats version of this carrot cake oatmeal recently in an acorn squash, so take a look at this recipe as well for one made a little differently here! This was used the natural sweetness of carrot juice to create a delicious taste, and then I placed it in a cooked squash for a delectable breakfast!
Carrot Cake Oatmeal Recipe
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk (or other nondairy milk/water)
1/4 cup cooked carrots
1 tablespoon unsweetened dried coconut
1 tablespoon chopped walnuts
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp coconut extract (or vanilla extract)
A dash of sea salt
Add sweetener to taste (i.e. honey)
Directions: Place oats, milk, and carrots in bowl. Microwave for 2 minutes. Remove from microwave and place into blender. Blend until smooth. Mix in other ingredients. Pour into bowl and top with any desired ingredients.
Tip: This can be made the night before and stored in the fridge until morning.