Like most animals humans tend to be creatures of habit and I assume most people have a go-to breakfast that sets them up for the day, for me it’s a cuppa and toast but for Little Miss it’s her porridge pots.
I always do my best to ensure we have a healthy diet, for hubby and I it helps justify our wine consumption (even though it could technically be considered one of our 5 a day!) but for Little Miss I want to ensure all meals and snacks have nutritional value and in the process educate her on the importance of a healthy diet. Luckily she loves her fruit and veg, so I’ve never had to hide them in her food and she’s generally open to trying new things, when she does need a little encouragement we remind her about the character in Green Eggs and Ham and that usually entices her to try a bit.
I recall my mum giving me The Food Doctor book when I went to university and have since taken a keen interest in what vitamins and minerals are in food. Of course when I first became a mum I looked into what additional superfoods could be introduced into our diet, which is when I discovered chia seeds.
After consulting Prof. Google on chia seed recipes when Little Miss was a toddler I found one for overnight oatmeal and it has become a firm favourite of hers, even though we have cereal in the house and porridge oats ready to warm her up on cold mornings like today it is her go-to. I am happy though as it is a quick, easy breakfast that I know is full of goodness. I just have to remember to make a couple to keep in the fridge as it is not a good start to the day if I have forgotten!
We have tried a few variations over the years but usually the flavour combination is determined by what fruit we have in the house and as bananas are always in the kitchen we love choco-banana, plus who doesn’t like chocolatey food?!
If you haven’t already given overnight oatmeal a whirl here is a recipe for you to try…
Makes 1 pot/serving
Base:
▪︎1/4 cup oatmeal
▪︎1 tsp chia seeds
▪︎1/3 cup milk
▪︎1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
▪︎1 tsp honey
Choco-banana:
▪︎1 tbs cocoa powder
▪︎1/2 banana (chopped into small pieces)
Raspberry & vanilla:
▪︎1/4 cup chopped raspberries
▪︎Dash of vanilla essence
Mango & almond:
▪︎1/4 cup fresh chopped mango
▪︎Dash of almond essence
Pop all of the dry ingredients required in an airtight container (I like to recycle some of our jam jars) and mix. Add the wet ingredients and stir well, especially if using cocoa powder. Add the chopped fruit and mix through gently. Pop it in the fridge and enjoy the next day (or the day after as they are good for up to 3 days).
Where possible I use organic ingredients and have experimented with different types of milk, such as oat and almond milk, you can also tweak the amount of honey and essence for your personal taste. With regards to the flavour combination there are endless options, how about using some dried fruit, nuts, alternative sweeteners like maple syrup…enjoy being creative and creating some little pots of goodness.
Categories: Family Life, Food & Drink, Lifestyle
Tanoshimi 