[NOTE: The recipe, text, photos, and nutrition facts were updated on 11-8-2014 to reflect the new way that I make my daily oatmeal. The old version did not have flaxseed, and had brown sugar instead of date paste.]

This recipe is the reason that I wake up excited in the morning. Some people need their morning coffee, I need my morning oats. And not just any bowl of oatmeal. This bowl of oatmeal.

This porridge is a simplified take on an Ellie Krieger recipe. I updated this recipe to include flaxseed, and use date paste as a sweetener instead of brown sugar. After all, the maximum added sugar recommendation from the American Heart Association is 6 tsp a day for adult women, and 9 tsp for adult men.

Most people don’t even make it out of the house before exceeding these sugar limits, so re-purposing fruit as a sweetener (imagine that!) is a great healthy habit to start. If you don’t have dates on hand, add them to your grocery list. In the meantime, mashed bananas are another great way to naturally sweeten your morning porridge.

Oatmeal with Raisins & Almonds (aka Kelly’s Daily Oatmeal)

Serves 1

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
• 2/3 cup water
• 1 tablespoon date paste
• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed (it needs to be ground, rather than whole, to release the nutrients)
• 2 tablespoons raisins
• 1 tablespoon sliced almonds
• 1/4 cup nonfat milk (I use organic)
  

Method:

1. Pour oats into a microwave safe bowl and then evenly pour 2/3 cup water on top.
2. Microwave for 2 minutes (you may have to stop halfway through to stir if your oatmeal is prone to spilling over the edges of the bowl).
3. After oats are done cooking, stir in the date paste and flaxseed.
4. Top with raisins and almonds, and finish with a splash of milk (about 1/4 cup).

Nutrition: 330 calories, 8.5g fat (1g saturated), 59g carbohydrates (8g fiber, 22g sugar*), 11g protein, 4% Vitamin A, 1% Vitamin C, 15% Calcium, 16% Iron

*all sugars are naturally occurring- none are the dangerous added sugars

A note on microwave cooking: I find that my Fiestaware Cereal Bowl is the PERFECT size for cooking 1 serving of old fashioned rolled oats in the microwave, without the risk of spilling over the sides. (Unfortunately, the only Fiestaware bowls I have are forest green and mauve, my mom’s rejects from the early 90’s).

Why am I so crazy about oatmeal? Oats have a healthy dose of soluble fiber which binds with the cholesterol inside of your body and helps it to exit your body. Any other oatmeal lovers out there?

• Check out one of my favorite blogs: The Oatmeal Artist. This website is filled with creative (and oftentimes vegan) oatmeal recipes. Chai and Pear Oatmeal, anyone?
• Check out my oatmeal board on Pinterest. This board is my collection of yummy oatmeal (and other hot breakfast cereal) recipes that I can’t wait to try.
• And for a real indulgence, JP Licks makes an oatmeal cookie flavored low fat frozen yogurt. I tried it in September and haven’t quit talking about it since!

-Kelly