Wow! My New Favorite Breakfast
It's Been Hiding Right Under My Nose
Well gentlemen, this one is hot off the press. :-) I have been eating oatmeal almost every morning for seven-plus years and loving it (after 50+ years of breakfast tacos, bacon and eggs, and McDonalds and Whataburger fast-food breakfasts). I add a cup of blueberries and 1/3 cup of walnuts plus a few other items and have loved it my oatmeal recipe the entire time. And oatmeal is a very heart-healthy breakfast.
But wait! I think I have a new favorite and I hope you will check it out for yourself.
Honestly, I had low expectations for my new favorite. But I figured what the hell let’s give it a try because it’s fast (requires zero cooking), it’s nutritious, and most importantly it’s Big Strong Heart heart-healthy. And it’s surprisingly hearty.
With each bite I liked it more and more. About halfway through I began to like it a LOT. By the end I was thoroughly AMAZED and incredulously thinking this might be my new favorite breakfast. And it’s so simple and easy!
This is my base cereal for Option #2 below:
So here it is and you can do it several ways and by that I mean you can just buy it (two different ways) or put the ingredients together yourself.
Buy It Option #1: Rip’s Big Bowl. Here’s the link: https://plantstrong.com/products/rips-big-bowl-date-raisin
I am a member of and huge fan of Rip Esselstyn and his company Plantstrong and Rip’s Big Bowl has been sitting right under my nose forever. It’s sweetened with raisins and chopped dates, low in fat and sugar and high in protein. I add one cup of blueberries, 1/2 cup of mangos, and 1/3 cup of walnuts. A tablespoon each of flax and chia seeds are a healthy addition. Watch this video to see Rip put it together his way (I stole his mangos idea):
Buy It Option #2: Go to the grocery store cereal section and buy a Muesli that is a mix of whole wheat cereals, raisins, chopped dates, nuts, and seeds. Add your blueberries, walnuts, mangos, or whatever toppings you like to round out your mix. And again, a tablespoon of flax seeds and chia seeds are very good to add also.
Make It Yourself Option: Go to your favorite grocery store and buy the ingredients individually and put it together yourself. Some mix from the cereal aisle of whole wheat flakes (no sugar!), spoon-size shredded wheat, whole rolled oats (no quick versions), various seeds and nuts, and raisins and dried chopped dates should make an excellent base. Then add your preferred toppings as we discussed above.
Also, about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of a plant-based milk is called for. I prefer soy milk as it is fortified and tends to have a stronger nutritional profile than other plant-based milks, especially when it comes to protein.
So there you go. A fast, easy, inexpensive, heart-healthy, satisfying, high-nutrition breakfast to get your day started. Give it a try tomorrow and let me know how you like it!
Yeah, you’re gonna want some…