Skip to Content

tag

Tag Archives: oatmeal

post

Healthy breakfast popsicles: 2 ways

One thing I’ve learned about pregnancy is that regardless of the weather, you’re hot all the time. I’m a bit embarrassed to admit just how much gelato I’ve consumed in the last few months. Enough to build a slip ‘n slide for a penguin, probably.

After rolling out of the hot bed in the morning, taking a hot shower, putting on hot clothes, and drying my hair with my portable hot-blasting device, I want nothing less than a hot breakfast to top it all off. I caught myself one morning, over an already cool enough bowl of fruit and yogurt, wishing that I could have the same thing for breakfast only frozen. My eyes nearly popped out of my head as I realized that this was a wish I could easily grant myself. And so, I sought to make myself a batch of healthy breakfast popsicles…

Healthy Breakfast Popsicles: 2 Ways - Apple Cinnamon Oat Pops and Almond Nectarine Yogurt Pops

This is stuff I already eat for breakfast regularly, just in frozen form. A bowl of oatmeal with mashed banana and applesauce or fruit and nuts in creamy yogurt. Entirely healthy and so, so soothing in the summer heat.

Almond Nectarine Yogurt Pops

I chose almonds and nectarines for these yogurt-based popsicles because that’s what I had on hand (and because I’m having a bit of an almond obsession right now.) Feel free to substitute any fruit, nuts, or flavored yogurt that you wish, but this combination really was stellar and I found myself making another batch immediately after I inevitably ate all of these in just a few days.

Almond nectarine yogurt pops

Yogurt, fruit, and nuts makes a healthy breakfast that is refreshing when frozen.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Yield: Makes 6

Ingredients

  • 2 containers (12 oz.) lemon Chobani yogurt
  • 2 small nectarines (diced small)
  • 1/2 cup sliced almonds
  • 2 tsp. honey
  • 1 tsp. almond extract

Cooking Directions

  1. Stir all ingredients together in a small bowl.
  2. Spoon mixture evenly into popsicle molds and insert handles.
  3. Freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight.
  4. To eat: Run mold under warm water until popsicle slides out easily.

Another favorite of mine is oatmeal bulked up with a mashed banana and sweetened with applesauce. I was worried that the texture of the oatmeal wouldn’t work very well frozen, but they came out just delightful. They’re a bit chunkier than the yogurt pops, but still break apart easily and dissolve in your mouth.

Apple Cinnamon Oat Pops

Again, chose your own adventure here. If there’s a flavored oatmeal you’d like to use, go for it. If you’d like to substitute jam or nut butter for the apple sauce, be my guest. You could even use canned pumpkin in place of the mashed banana… mmmmm.

Apple cinnamon oat pops

Just like a hearty bowl of hot apple cinnamon oatmeal, but in frozen form.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Yield: Makes 6

Ingredients

  • 2 individual packets plain instant oatmeal
  • 1 medium banana
  • 1/4 cup apple sauce
  • 1/4 cup almond meal
  • 1/4 cup almond milk
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. honey

Cooking Directions

  1. In a microwave-safe bowl, cook oatmeal with water according to package directions.
  2. In a separate bowl, mash banana with a fork. Add oatmeal and all other ingredients and stir to combine.
  3. Spoon mixture evenly into popsicle molds and insert handles.
  4. Freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight.
  5. To eat: Run molds under warm water until popsicle slides out easily.

I’ve loved being able to grab one of these in the morning to cool off with. They’re pretty low-calorie, so I usually follow them up with a muffin or something. I already have so many ideas for how to freeze more of my breakfasts now. Blueberries and waffle bits in maple yogurt? YES.

Apple Cinnamon Oat PopsAlmond Nectarine Yogurt Pops

How would you translate your favorite breakfast into a frozen treat?

 

post

B12 update

I’m still savoring those incredible heirloom tomatoes. Yesterday I had one chopped up on a salad and it was as sweet as strawberries.

Another item I picked up to try was blueberry butter. I was SO excited when I saw it. I love apple butter and pumpkin butter, so what could go wrong? Well, I tried it on my oatmeal this morning and wouldn’t you know, there is absolutely zero blueberry flavor. It’s basically just tastes like heavily spiced applesauce. It’s still really good, but no blueberry!

Oatmeal with blueberry butter

And here’s another failed purchase at the farmer’s market the other day. I knew we were about to run out of fish sauce, so I picked up a giant bottle of my favorite Shrimp Brand sauce, only to discover another humongous bottle in the bottom of the pantry that I bought a few weeks ago and forgot about.

Too much fish sauce

That is a lot of fish sauce. Luckily this is a staple item in our house, so we will get through it all, just slowly.

But enough about fails, how about a win?

You may recall that I’ve been trying to correct a B12 deficiency with a high dose supplement for the last few months. Well, on Monday I went in for a blood test to see if my numbers were up. Check out the stellar results!

B12 lab results

1415! That’s up from 180 just earlier this year! I know it’s flagged as too high because it’s outside the normal range, but my doctor told me that there’s really no such thing as a B12 level that’s too high. She’s never heard of it being harmful for anyone.

I just ordered more of the B12 supplement I’ve been taking, but I’ve downgraded to a 1000mcg dose that I may only take every other day. I am so glad this worked for me, nothing else has in years!

That’s my good news for the day, tell me some good news of yours!

post

Guest post: Kristy’s pantry essentials

Hope you all enjoyed Lee’s curry recipe yesterday. As you read this we are on a plane heading home, so until we make it back safe and sound, I leave you with one more guest post from another fellow Atlanta blogger.

Kristy is my home-town running hero. Girl eats miles for breakfast, and maybe sometimes some overnight oats. 😉 Thanks Kristy for this wonderful guest post!

Hey, Y’all!  This is Kristy from KristyRuns.com.

Big thanks to Alayna for allowing me to do a guest post for her!  She rocks.

Alayna and I share a love of eating and cooking whole, nutritious foods…although her cooking is, like, phenomenal.  Mine’s more like throw it in the oven and let it bake for 30 minutes.  :)

Since I’m a runner [and always hungry], I keep my fridge and pantry stocked with delicious, healthy foods.  Let’s take a peek inside them, shall we?

Some things I always keep on hand:

Nut butter.  Almond, hazelnut, peanut…you name it, I love it.  Whether straight out of the jar, slathered on a ‘naner, or mixed in a smoothie, the protein plus healthy fats make a satiating and tasty combo.  Love.

Oatmeal.  I can’t even remember the last time I ate this stuff cooked!  I love to make overnight oats with them!  My new favorite way to eat them is with yogurt, chopped almonds, and sliced banana.  Oatmeal is packed with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and iron. Hello, awesome snack!

‘Naners.  I always have several bunches of bananas on hand.  Between smoothies, yogurt/oatmeal bowls, and slathering them with almond butter, I go through a lot of ’em.

Spinach and carrots.  Speaking of smoothies, you’ve tried a green monster before, right???  So. Good.  My standard recipe includes spinach, carrots, banana, frozen berries, and almond milk.  Since I’m a vegetarian, I give these smoothies all the credit for keeping my iron levels at a normal level.  The vitamin C in the berries helps your body absorb more iron from the spinach.  I can almost hear my body thanking me when I guzzle down one of these babies.

Yogurt:  I used to avoid all animal products before I went to Europe a month ago.  After that trip, I realized that I could eat dairy and eggs in an ethical, responsible way.  Fortunately in Atlanta, we have several local companies that produce quality organic dairy products.  Calcium plus protein?  I’ll take it!

But hey, sometimes you just need some gelato.  😉

What are your favorite healthy foods to keep on hand?