Supercharged Protein Oats

This breakfast truly is supercharged with nutrients to fuel your muscles, maximise energy levels, and skyrocket your metabolism. It is a bowl of goodness that is packed with protein, fibre, omega-3 fatty acids, and other good fats to keep you full and satisfied for a good 4 hours - which means that you're less likely to reach for that refined sugar-laden biscuit at morning tea and more likely to go for the healthy choice at lunch time.

This recipe is so quick to make - it literally takes only 5 minutes to throw together and is very portable and easy to eat on the run (if you are one of those people who have to eat their breakfast in the car).

Oh, and it also tastes amazing.

Ingredients:

1/3 of a cup rolled oats 2/3 of a cup milk (almond//soy/cow's) 1 tbsp. ground flaxseed 1 egg white Half a mashed banana (small) 3 drops liquid stevia (or sweetener of choice) 1/2 a tsp. vanilla extract 1 tsp. almond butter 1 tbsp. chopped walnuts 1 tsp. maple syrup Cinnamon & Vanilla Baked Pears for topping (or any other baked or fresh fruit)

Method: Combine the oats and milk in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook for approximately 5 minutes or until creamy. Take the saucepan off the heat and add the egg white. Stir to combine thoroughly until the egg white is cooked through. Then add the mashed banana, ground flaxseed, stevia, and vanilla. Pour into a breakfast bowl and top with almond butter, walnuts, pears, and a drizzle of maple syrup. Divine!

Question of the day: What is your favourite way of eating oats?

Link of the day: Breakfast Crepe with Protein Berry Filling

Maximising your nutrient intake

I often get asked by my clients what the best way is to make sure that they achieve their requirements for their vitamins and minerals. There are two answers -

1. If you want to make 100% sure, see an accredited practicing dietitian who can analyse your diet in detail.

AND

2. Eat a wide variety of different foods (at least 20 different foods per day) and eat them in lots of different colours!!

Why? The more colour a fruit or vegetable has, the more concentrated the vitamins or minerals! This is almost always an indicator that it will be more nutritious.

Here are some examples of colourful fruit and vegetables and how they can benefit your health:

Red - strawberries, tomatoes, radishes, beetroot, rhubarb, pomegranate. These contain lycopenes and anthocyans, believed to help reduce the risk of certain cancers, improve heart health, and help fight off infections.

Orange & Yellow - sweet potato, mango, carrots, pumpkin, oranges. These contain carotenoids and bioflavonoids which help improve vision, fight off cancer, slow ageing, and maintain a healthy immune system.

Green - kiwi fruit, avocado, spinach, kale, asparagus, broccoli, zucchini. These contain phytochemicals that help antioxidants fight carcinogens and strengthen our bones!

Purple & blue - blueberries, raisins, eggplant, figs, plums. They contain anthocyans and resveratol that may reduce cancer risk and slow down ageing.

This is more than enough reason for me to eat colourful! So that's what I did for lunch today...