steelcutoats

We may be slow to try out this d-lish, healthy breakfast dish (remember, I was slow to figure out Sloe Gin!), but it’s a keeper!  After Willow explained in our last blog about the importance of our gut and suggested steel cut oats as something good to include in our diets, we decided that we’d replace our normal rolled oats with steel cut.  Mind you, I’ve never been a real fan of oatmeal for breakfast.  I doctor it up with granola, fruit, lots of brown sugar and half and half – all of which detracts from the healthiness thing and makes me feel guilty.

Last night Andy (who BTW has not yet ridden into the sunset with his horse and Roy Rogers gun) started the oats; this morning they were quickly cooked; we added bananas and maple syrup for sweetness; pecans and pomegranates and hemp seeds for extra health and crunch.  Voila!  Amazing.

And here’s a little lagniappe from Willow with more ideas on easy ways to incorporate good gut foods into your diet, as well as what to avoid.  I asked for suggestions about sauerkraut specifically, since eating it raw isn’t something I’ve done.  And anyone who suggests eating more sweet potatoes is on my Bestie list forever more! Go, Willow!

• I sometimes just eat a big spoonful of raw sauerkraut.  I’d bring it to room temperature and add to sandwiches.  You could heat a sandwich or dish and then add the sauerkraut at the end. 
• If you look at miso soup recipes, it always says to make the soup, remove it from the heat and then add the miso before serving, without boiling again.
• Honey, maple syrup and agave are all sugar.  The honey and maple syrup have tiny amounts of vitamins, etc, but as long as you can handle sugar in reasonable amounts, they are okay.  I would stay away from agave. It is very high in fructose like high fructose corn syrup, and your body doesn’t handle that well. 
• Oatmeal, especially the long cooking steel cut oats are healthy.  Soaking over night cuts cooking time down a lot. 
• There is something called resistant starches which are not easily metabolized to sugar and provide good food for gut bacteria.  Two of these, as opposed to white potatoes, are sweet potatoes and yams.