If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed or free email updates. Thanks for visiting!
This easy recipe for organic oatmeal is even more healthy than regular oatmeal because it is “soaked” overnight with ingredients that break down the phytic acid. This way your body can absorb and use all the minerals from the fresh cream you add to the top in the morning (remember dairy fat is good for you and helps you lose weight!), or from the big glass of healthy milk, preferably raw milk, that you drink with it.
I don’t even like oatmeal, and neither does my daughter, but we both liked this!
BREAKFAST OATMEAL:
The night before, mix these ingredients together in a small saucepan (takes about 2 minutes):
- 2 c. organic oats (not the quick-cooking kind)
- 2 c. warm water (filtered is best) (***Only 1 c. if you’re just adding hot water in the morning – see below.)
- 4 T. organic whole-milk yogurt (even better: homemade yogurt from raw milk), OR you could also use whey, kefir or buttermilk – using ONE of any of these is the key to breaking down the phytic acid. (Those with severe milk allergies can substitute lemon juice or vinegar.)
- 1/2-1 t. sea salt
- 1/2 t. cinnamon
- 1/2 c. real maple syrup (we get ours at our farm, ask at your local health food store)
Cover and leave it on the counter-top overnight. (See comment #21 below about the length of time to soak the oats.)
In the morning, turn on your stove and heat the oatmeal to the desired temperature, and that’s it!
Small variation: if you have a hot water tap like we do, only use a total of about 1 c. of water the night before and mix it all in a bowl instead of a saucepan. In the morning scoop out what you want into a mug, add some hot water to heat it up, and you have a fast breakfast!
Kent likes to add peanut butter (?) and raisins. Others add real cream or they might use honey instead of maple syrup. You could also put some yogurt on top, nuts, ground flax seed, butter, or dried cranberries. There are many healthy, delicious, and kid-friendly options!
Note: this recipe was adapted from the Nourishing Traditions cookbook, which is FULL of information and traditional recipes.
RELATED POSTS/LINKS:
- Stove-top macaroni & cheese recipe
- Are supplements necessary for good health?
- Raw milk safety from a farmer’s point of view
DON'T MISS NEW POSTS:
Subscribe in a reader or Subscribe via e-mail for free blog updates.
Learn more from the COMMENTS BELOW - join the conversation!
{ 21 comments… read them below or add one }
holly 02.27.08 at 8:36 am
I am looking forward to trying this! I was making oatmeal in the crockpot the night before and finally gave up because it was like paste! when I was doing that I was adding dried fruit which was yummy!
[Reply]
Michigan Mom2three 03.31.08 at 4:20 am
Yes, my crockpot oatmeal came out like paste too.
Kelly, I have taken to stirring in a tablespoon of extra virgin coconut oil into my oatmeal, and a handful of my dried cherries (I’m a drying maniac when cherry picking starts around here! They are so expensive to buy, but to pick, they’re around $1 a pound and I dry them myself in my dehydrator to enjoy all year long.) I really like the coconut flavor, and my oatmeal is not “oily” at all. It’s similar to putting in butter. It also helps me to increase my intake of that wonderful coconut oil.
Shauna
[Reply]
Kelly 03.31.08 at 7:10 pm
Shauna,
Great idea – it even sounds good to me, and I’m not much of a coconut fan, but I wish I was! I’m starting to like it in more and more things, though.
Kelly
[Reply]
Bamboo 10.09.08 at 6:41 pm
Kelly,
I’ve been using this for a few months now and the kids love it. I don’t have a hot water tap, but I do have a tea kettle
. I boil water in the kettle and leave it simmering so that as each person is ready to eat the oatmeal is still fresh and warm.
I’ve found that your recipe is just enough to feed 4 for breakfast (I eat eggs).
Thanks,
Beth
[Reply]
Kelly the Kitchen Kop 10.09.08 at 7:00 pm
Thanks, Beth, that’s good to know. I’m not good about remembering to write down servings sizes.
Glad you like the recipe!
Kelly
[Reply]
Elizabeth 01.28.09 at 9:03 am
Hi Kelly! I’m going to try your oatmeal recipe (minus the honey or maple syrup) – love how it can be prepared the night before and just heated up in the morning. I’ve been adding flaxseeds to my oatmeal for over a year now. They are still in the seed form, not ground. I try to make sure I chew a lot. Any opinion on seed vs. ground?
[Reply]
may 02.03.09 at 6:07 pm
Flax seeds and unsoaked nuts also contain phytic acid.
[Reply]
Kelly 02.04.09 at 10:47 am
Elizabeth, I have never used flax seeds at all, I’ve always gotten my omega 3’s from cod liver oil, grass-fed beef, etc. So I’m not much help.
May’s comment brought to mind the Nourishing Traditions cookbook, though, maybe there would be more info there.
Kelly
[Reply]
Elizabeth 02.04.09 at 3:44 pm
Thanks! I’ll check it out!
[Reply]
JK 04.23.09 at 4:28 am
Hi Kelly
Is rolled oats OK?
Why do we need to add hot/warm water? The Birscher-Muesli seem to use cool water. What is the function of adding the hot/warm water?
Tks!
JK
[Reply]
Kelly 04.25.09 at 8:56 am
Hi JK, Yes, I think rolled oats are OK, but to be honest, I haven’t figured out the differences between oats yet, so I don’t know for sure. Maybe someone else will jump in on that.
In order for the phytic acid to be broken down, the mixture needs to be warm, so the warm water is just to give a jump on that – if your house is quite warm, it probably doesn’t matter.
[Reply]
JK 04.30.09 at 4:16 am
Hi Kelly
I soaked 1 cup of rolled oats for 24 hours with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.
What struck me was that after 24 hours, the soaked oats emitted a terrible smell (like that of vomit). Is this normal?
Anyways, I rinsed the oats with water and added one cup of boiling water to it. Thereafter, I boiled it for 5 minutes.
I must say, I like the texture of the boiled oats and it seemed to digest better.
1) Did I do the right thing with the oats?
2) I soaked dried raisins and figs separately for 8 hours. Is it necessary to soak these?
Tks!
JK
[Reply]
Kelly 05.03.09 at 12:12 pm
JK, you probably were just smelling the acid from the lemon juice (similar to stomach acid). Nope, you don’t need to soak the raisins and figs…not as far as I know anyway.
Kelly
[Reply]
Vera 05.27.09 at 5:13 pm
Can ground oatmeal be used? I currently have Organic Scottish oats, which basically are ground, not rolled oats, on hand and I wonder if they would suffice?
[Reply]
Kelly 05.29.09 at 1:43 am
Hi Vera, I think as long as you’re soaking the oats then it’s OK…?
[Reply]
Louise - CuremyFatigue 07.12.09 at 8:15 am
Kelly,
I have been cooking with Nourishing Traditions for about 4 years now.
It is so hard to transition in the beginning. what?? I have to cook on my stove? Plus, I was already weakened and tired from years of the so-called “healthy diet.” Over time I have come up with all sorts of shortcuts to try to make old world meets modern technology.
Here is my tip for soaking oatmeal.
I bought a fancy rice cooker a few years ago. The fuzzy logic kind that has a porridge cycle. I put all the ingredients in before I go to bed and set the timer to be ready at the time I am getting up. It is perfectly soaked and cooked and ready to eat. It’s the next best thing to having someone bring you breakfast in bed.
Louise – CuremyFatigue’s last blog post..Services of a Nutritional Counselor
[Reply]
Louise - CuremyFatigue 07.12.09 at 8:26 am
I should add the only ingredients that go in the rice cooker bowl are water, oats (either Mccann’s or scots) and 2 tablespoons whey. I add maple syrup, butter, cream, salt, and cinnamon after it’s cooked. It is also nice to add kefir or yogurt too. Oh! and lots of grated coconut. My favorite thing to eat. It also makes it all taste like candy by that time.
Note to Elizabeth on Flax Seeds
You should ony eat flax ground or you won’t digest them. But cod liver oil is still better if you can’t make the DHA. See my fat page to understand the conversion of fatty acids. I side with more cod liver oil because my digestion is still on the mend.
Louise – CuremyFatigue’s last blog post..Services of a Nutritional Counselor
[Reply]
Kelly 07.12.09 at 11:23 pm
Louise, what a good tip, thank you! Going to go check out your site now. Catchy title.
[Reply]
Louise - Curemyfatigue 07.29.09 at 3:59 pm
Thanks, Kelly, and I say ditto to yours!
I think it’s great that so many of us are following Nourishing Traditions. The more the merrier! and the more tips and ideas to make it easier so we actually eat better quality food for our families health.
I also put up a page for oatmeal finally. It has the recipe and which rice-cookers work the best. That Sanyo looks very enticing. It has a slow-cooker cycle besides all the other options. I have the Tiger so I won’t be buying another one right now:)
Here is the link to the oatmeal recipe
http://www.cure-my-fatigue.com/healthy-oatmeal.html
[Reply]
Rebecca K 10.12.09 at 1:00 pm
Does anybody know the difference between steel-cut oats and regular rolled oats? I’m working on doing some stocking up and was wondering if you could help me with that,
Thanks,
Rebecca
[Reply]
KitchenKop 10.12.09 at 1:06 pm
Hi Rebecca, here’s what I found:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolled_oats
Whichever one you use, just soak the heck out of them first to break down the phytic acid. I’ve heard 24 hours is best for oats, and I should probably add that note to the recipe, but that may make them taste a bit more sour. Overnight is definitely better than not soaking at all, though.
Anyone else have thoughts on this?
Kelly
[Reply]