This Sautéed Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal is one of my favourite oatmeal recipes. The combination of thick and creamy oats with sweet sautéed apples makes for the perfect satisfying and nourishing breakfast to jumpstart your day!
Whether you choose to use Steel-cut (Irish/Scottish oats) or Rolled oats (Old-Fashioned oats) will mainly depend on the amount of time you have. Rolled oats are often steamed, flattened ("rolled") and at the end, dried. This process significantly speeds up the cooking process. Steel-cut oats on the other hand, require significantly more time to cook (20-25 minutes). Nutrition-wise, the difference is not significant other than a small advantage of consuming steel-cut oats, which may be better in terms of blood sugar control . In terms of taste, steel-cut oats tend to have a nuttier flavor and chewier texture, while rolled oats offer a creamier and smoother texture. For this recipe, I opted for rolled oats for a creamier texture!
Oats: Nutrition Facts
1 cup of cooked oats provides around 165 calories, 6 grams of protein and 4 grams of fibre! Oats are a rich source of Vitamin B1. They are also a source of Iron, magnesium, zinc and selenium!
Health Benefits of Oats
There of lots of health reasons to include more oats in your diet! The most researched area appears to be related to the relationship between oats & cholesterol.
There is good research supporting the effect of oats on lowering both total and LDL (bad cholesterol). Oats are a great source of soluble fibre, known to help lower cholesterol levels. The soluble fiber (beta-glucan) in oats binds to cholesterol in the bowel, causing it to excrete from the body. The habit of eating oatmeal daily can be enough to keep some people off cholesterol lowering medications!
Oats are also known to have other potential health benefits including helping with blood pressure control as well as asthma prevention. The high fiber and magnesium content of oats appears to be the reason for the possible blood pressure lowering effect of oats. Some studies have shown that early introduction of oats to infants may lower the incidence of asthma.
Recipe
Serves 1
Ingredients
1/2 cup of rolled oats
1 cup of milk of choice (I used almond milk). You can also just use water
1/2 banana
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 Apple, sliced
1 tsp of coconut oil
Toppings of choice: Toasted pumpkin seeds, hemp hearts, honey or maple syrup
Directions:
1. In a small saucepan, add milk (or water) and oats and turn heat on medium. Stir every few minutes
2. Mash banana with a fork and add to saucepan
3. Add cinnamon
4. Allow oatmeal to cook until most of the milk/water has been absorbed (approximately 7 minutes). If you like it more watery, add more milk/water
5. In another pan, add coconut oil and sliced apples. Sauté on medium heat for about 5 minutes until apples become golden/brown
6. Add oatmeal to bowl and top with sautéed apples as well as toppings of choice. I used toasted pumpkin seeds and hemp hearts! Enjoy :)