Wednesday, March 17, 2010

A Concoction That Just May Satisfy Your Oatmeal Cravings


Pre-Paleo, I used to start my mornings with a big bowl of oatmeal, mixed with peanut butter, cinnamon, and a sprinkling of oat bran. Looking back I realize that the full feeling I had grown accustomed to was actually bloating...yes, I was full, but mostly I was bloated and uncomfortable. But, regardless of how I felt post-breakfast, I still love that flavor combination. So, I decided to create a Paleoified version to satisfy my craving. Here's what I did:

Ingredients:
1/2 Roasted Acorn Squash, pureed (also try other winter squash like Kabocha, Butternut, or Delicata)
1 T. Almond Butter
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1-2 T. Ground Flax Seeds (I always buy the seeds and grind them right before use)
1/2 tsp. Pure Maple Syrup (if desired...the squash is usually sweet enough, after roasting, on it's own)
  1. Squish the squash, almond butter, and cinnamon in a bowl. 
  2. Sprinkle with flax and drizzle with maple syrup (if using).
  3. Serve.
This would make a great post-workout snack or can be eaten in place of your morning bowl of oatmeal/porridge, served with sausage and/or eggs.

19 comments:

HEAB said...

Yep, I think this would cure any oatmeal blues. :)

jencereghino said...

I'll be trying this again, with the kabocha squash, this weekend!

Anonymous said...

This looks good. I do miss my oatmeal. I think I might throw in some pecans too!

Emily said...

I've been making a paleo 'oatmeal' using almond meal so I was happy to find an alternative. I was curious to see how it would turn out and I am pleasantly surprised. I do all my cooking on the weekend for the week (including some quick things for breakfast) and thought I would give this a try since I had an extra acorn squash. Wow it is good! And that's just my opinion from licking the spoon as I transfer it from the bowl to a tupperware dish to store in the fridge. Can't wait to have it for breakfast one day this week!

Cspin said...

Tried this today and LOVED it! Thank you! Finally, something different for breakfast!!!

jencereghino said...

I love this combination and I agree...every once in awhile you just ant something a little different. I'm glad you liked it!

What squash did you use? Kabocha has been my favorite.

Danielle said...

Hi Jen,

I just wanted to let you know this recipe has finally convinced me to try going all paleo! I am addicted to my morning oat meal and am so excited you have made an alternative! One question... why no dairy? I have noticed on some sites it is optional. Thanks for all these great recipes! :-)

jencereghino said...

Hi Danielle!

I totally understand...that was my morning go-to forever! I honestly didn't know how I was going to go without my morning oatmeal, and my grains at pretty much every meal. But, if you're anything like me, you'll soon realize the benefits (i.e. no bloating or discomfort, no skin irritations, clearer skin) of eliminating them.

As far as dairy is concerned, it's a mucous-forming food that make digestion difficult and can cause gut issues for many. I eliminated it to see how my body would react and have been happy, so I keep it out only introducing it on occasion. I find that, for me, I am okay with the occasional raw (unpasturized) goat or sheeps' milk cheese, but try to stay away from cow's milk. I do, however, use clarified butter (grass-fed) and this really yummy Italian butter from Parma...because sometimes I just love it with my scrambled eggs. :)

With regard to other sites, and their use of dairy, it's just a personal preference. If you want to put a label on the difference, "Paleo" eating would eliminate it while "Primal" eating would incorporate it, but would use mostly grass-fed butter, cream, and would do so ideally in it's raw form.

I'm glad you decided to make this change for yourself...keep me updated on how you're feeling! And, feel free to email me if you have any other questions: cereghinojen@gmail.com

~Jen

Danielle said...

Thanks so much for the explaination! Amazingly... my skin has cleared up over night practically (over the last week). I have had bad skin for years! I love eating this way! I never realized how unsatisfying all those grain were.

jencereghino said...

Danielle~

I used to get eczema pretty badly on my hands, had red bumps on the backs of my arms, and would get blotchiness on my face, the occasional under the skin zits on my chin, and had just sort of bumpy skin on my face. All of this...GONE! My skis really soft and smooth now and actually nicer now, in my 30s, than it was in my 20s. Yeah!

The thing that was so frustrating for me, is that I didn't have to go through all of this...not that I would've listened to anyone but my self as a teen. :) But, seriously, I want anyone and everyone who will listen to try this way of eating just so that they can experience these positive results...and, of course, many more.

Thanks for your feedback!
Jen

pfal6 said...

This fauxmeal was AWESOME!!! I love all things squash and this was so good that I like it BETTER than regular oatmeal and even my kids liked it. My daughter ditched her regular oatmeal and ate all mine :-0

Thanks for the recipes. This is my new favorite blog and I look forward to trying more recipes!

breanna said...

Jen- I just read through this recipe and LITERALLY got choked up with emotion…i've been paleo for a year and i LOVE it, but i do so miss that cozy bowl of sweet mushy breakfast!

THANK YOU SOOOOOO MUCH for this recipe!!! I could just kiss you right on the forehead!

Jenny Madonia said...

Jen-

Are you sure that Flax Seed Meal is Paleo? If so why?

Heidi said...

Jen, you posted this two years ago...but we are still reading this! :) I have an acorn squash that needs to get eaten before we go out of town, and I'm so doing this! Will come back & post if it passed the kid test! :)

Anonymous said...

I need to be able to pin these recipes (Pinterest). I'm begging you.

Amanda said...

I had this for breakfast two days in a row and LOVED it! Perfect along side some yummy eggs! I'm pregnant and need to eat more carbs. I've been doing a lot of sweet potato hash with eggs in the morning. But I was getting a little sick of them. So this is a great change. I didn't add any maple syrup, I think it's sweet enough. (I didn't have flax so I didn't add any.) Also, I added a little coconut milk before eating it to make it seem like oatmeal. Also, today I added 1/4 of a chopped banana which was delicious. (I also used to eat oatmeal with banana, peanut butter and SOY milk (EEK!). Thank you once again. Perfect treat for a brisk fall morning!

Janine Kavanagh said...

Hi I know this is an old post but I'm curious to ask why do you suggest it would make a great "post-workout" snack?? What determines a good pre and a good post workout meal. I'm very stuck with what to have for breakfast as my exercise is always first thing and either interval running, a long run, High Intensity Boot Camp or kettlebell training and I never know what to eat before or after??? I've been paleo/primal for about 7 months now and although I'm finding the paleo way of life more natural now I still get stuck on what to eat pre & post a workout, which is always around breakfast time for me.

Unknown said...

I just found this recipe while searching paleo recipes. I immediately went to the kitchen and made it. Easy and delicious! Thank you!

Irina said...

This was easy and yummy! My toddler liked it too (no maple syrup needed). Thanks for sharing - I'll definitely make this again!