Berry Chia Quick Oats

I LOVE oats. Not the crappy oatmeal packets, but the thick cut or steel cut oats. This is one of my absolute favorite breakfasts and I would honestly choose this over "special" breakfast items any day of the week.


Serves 1

Ingredients:

1/3 cup thick cut oats
1 TBS Chia Seeds
1 TBS Flax Meal
3/4 cup Vanilla Almond Milk or other non-dairy milk of choice

1 cup berries or diced fruit of your choice (I used fresh blueberries and raspberries here)



Directions:

Mix oats, chia, flax and almond milk in a bowl. Let sit approximately 15 minutes or cover and refrigerate overnight. When ready to eat, mix in fresh berries or fruit of choice. Enjoy!

Preferred consistency is a personal thing. If you like it thicker, hold back on the liquids. If you like a thinner oatmeal add more non-dairy milk.



Notes from Shelly:

Diced banana chunks are awesome in this, particularly if you use UNSWEETENED vanilla almond milk. Banana + sweetened can be a little overload with the sweets but you can decide what is right for your tastes.

Chia seeds are a source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids. When mixed with liquid, they form a gel which can be used as a replacement for fat in baking. Research suggests that this gel can slow the breakdown of carbohydrates into glucose which helps to provide a steady release of glucose into the blood stream. Chia seeds are also an excellent source of fiber (7 grams of Fiber per ounce of Chia), copper, iron, calcium, phosphorus, manganese, niacin and zinc.

For a quick breakfast at your desk: Add all ingredients to a canning jar, pop the lid on and shake it. By the time you arrive at work, your oats will be ready to eat. :)