Baked Autumn Harvest Oatmeal

Every morning I rely on my breakfast staple of choice: a warm bowl of oatmeal! Oatmeal is an incredible breakfast option this whole grain option has a high fiber content that will keep you full for hours and prevent a mid-morning snack attack!  When most of my clients think about oatmeal, the thought of sugar-laden packets of instant oatmeal immediately come to mind.  I resort to a big tub of plain oats and flavor my oatmeal with seasonal favorites, such as the pumpkin that I used in this recipe in order to provide a rich and hearty flavor that doesn’t resort on sugar! 

                I add a few non-traditional items, including ground flax seed meal, wheat germ, and bee pollen, to my morning bowl of oatmeal.  Flax seeds are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, are high in both soluble and insoluble fiber, and contain many antioxidants.  Due to their hard coating, flax seeds must be consumed in ground form in order to obtain their many health benefits.  If you are having trouble “going number two”, add a tablespoon or two to your oatmeal and I am sure that your intestinal regularity will improve!  Try flaxseeds in a small dosage first and gradually build your way up, making sure you have a bathroom readily available just in case!  Nutritionally, wheat germ is a power house and is fortified with many vitamins and minerals, including vitamin E, folic acid, zinc, magnesium, and essential omega-3 fatty acids.  Vitamin E is a great antioxidant that helps improve your skin and has many anti-aging properties.  Wheat germ also improves your overall metabolism by allowing our body to balance our hormones, especially during times of stress (such as lifting weights).  Bee pollen contains nearly every nutrient required by the human body and is rich in protein (18 amino acids), vitamins, and minerals.  Bee pollen also exhibits antibacterial and anti-vital properties.  It also contains many important enzymes such as Phenylalanine (an appetite suppressant) and Lecitin (dissolves fat in the body).  Since many of the enzymes found in bee pollen work best at cooler temperatures, it is best to sprinkle them on top of your oatmeal.

“Baked” Autumn Harvest Oatmeal

-          1/3 cup oatmeal prepared with water

-          1 tbsp ground flax seed meal

-          1 tbsp wheat germ

-          1 tsp bee pollen

-          1 egg white

-          ½  tbsp natural almond butter

-          1 tbsp organic raisins

-          2 tbsps organic pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

-          Cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice (to taste)

-          ½ packet Truvia (to taste)

Measure out your oatmeal, flaxseed, and wheat germ and place them in a microwave-safe bowl.  Add one egg white to the mixture, along with your raisins, pumpkin, and spices.  Cook for 2 minutes and 30 seconds until oatmeal has a “baked” texture (it will look like a small cake in your bowl).  Sprinkle bee pollen and Truvia on top of the oatmeal.  I also drizzle 1/2 tbsp natural almond butter that I have melted in a small container its own to the top of my oatmeal.