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Strawberry Banana Raw Breakfast Oats

Chia oats is our go to snack and breakfast around here. Full of fiber and protein, (13 grams of fiber & 11 grams of protein!) they are super healthy and super filling! You can make them ahead of time and let them sit in the refrigerator for up to a day.

Start with mashing a banana. Don’t like bananas? Not sure about a substitute, as bananas are the base of the dish. Maybe mashed mango or peaches?

Our usual chia oats calls for banana, peanut butter and a bit of maple syrup. This time we skipped the peanut butter and added strawberries instead. Yum!

Chia is a superfood that we eat everyday around here.

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A little bit about:

Chia Seeds

~the are jammed packed with protein and minerals and healthy fats and fiber

~they provide more plant based Omega 3’s than any other food, even FLAX

~they have 5 GRAMS of fiber PER TABLESPOON!

~they are flavorless and dissolve in juice, soups, stews, shakes etc..

~they are FILLING!

Here is a great post on the benefits of chia seeds and different ways to use them.

Back to the recipe, I don’t really measure. I use 2 handfuls of oats. It is a very forgiving recipe, no need to be exact. We have made chia oats so often that even my 9 year old knows how to make them.

I use 2 palmfuls of chia.

One capful of vanilla. So easy!

We eyeball the almond milk…

…then stir it all up.

This is how it should look right after stirring. You want it a little runny. As it sits, the chia seeds soften and swell and the oats soak up some of the milk.

Let it sit in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes to soften the oats and thicken. A little someone ate up the oats before I could take a final picture! She added a bit of agave and they were gone before I knew it!

Strawberry Banana Raw Breakfast Oats

1 banana, mashed

4-5 strawberries, cut up

1 cup oats (or two handfuls)

2 tbls chia seeds (or 2 palmfuls)

1 tsp vanilla (or 1 capful)

1-1/2 cups milk (almond, coconut, dairy)

________

a drizzle of honey, agave nectar, or maple syrup

________

Mash banana. Add strawberries, oats, seeds & vanilla. Add milk. Stir. If too thick, add more milk, you want them slightly runny like picture above. Let sit for 10-15 minutes in the refrigerator. Before eating, drizzle with sweetener of choice. Can be refrigerated up to a day.

Brunch/ RECIPES

Banana Pumpkin Muffins

Like I mentioned in this post, we are having an ‘eat from the pantry’ week to save some $. I like the challenge of only buying the basics-bread, milk, peanut butter–and using as much as possible from what we already have in our cupboards, pantry and freezer.

I think muffins are great to have sitting around. They make a great after school snack, or are a nice addition to a green smoothie for breakfast. They keep my girls from saying the most dreaded “Mom, I can’t find anything to eat.”

I made Brownie Bites which uses pumpkin as a secret ingredient that helps keep the muffins moist. The problem was it only used 1/2 a can of pumpkin, and since I am in a ‘use-what-we-have’ mindset this week, I went on a search for another muffin that uses pumpkin.

I didn’t have to search very long. One of my favorite sites, Happy Herbivore, had an awesome looking recipe for Banana-Pumpkin Muffins. I knew I had a freezer full of frozen bananas, a jar of unsweetened applesauce in the pantry, and of course, my 1/2 can of pumpkin. I was set!

I was surprised my girls preferred these Banana-Pumpkin Muffins over the Chocolate Bites. Well, surprised until I tasted one. They are YUMMY! They are moist, have just the right amount of cinnamon spice, and the chocolate chips I added made me very happy. I did have one daughter ask if I could leave the chocolate chips out next time. I had to agree with her, they would be just as good without them!

I made these the same time I whipped up Brownie Bites. Brownie Bites cook at 330 degrees, and when I put both types of muffins in the pan, I was a little nervous that they would not get done at the same time, but they did just fine.

I don’t have a finished muffin photo for you, but take my word for it, they are pretty and super yummy!

Banana-Pumpkin Muffins
11/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (I just used plain whole wheat flour)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 whole bananas
1 cup pumpkin ( I was not exact, I used whatever was left in the can after making Brownie Bites)
3/4 cup brown sugar (I used 1/2 cup pure cane sugar, it was all I had on hand)
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup non-dairy milk (or dairy, whatever you prefer)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffin tins to prevent sticking. In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice together. Then whisk in sugar and set aside.

In a bowl, mash bananas, ripe ones are best. Add applesauce and pumpkin & milk. Stir.

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Stir just until combined. If you want to add chocolate chips or nuts (1/2 cup) add after a few strokes.

Spoon into muffin tins, 3/4 full and bake until a toothpick comes out clean. I used mini muffin pans, so mine took about 8-10 minutes. Regular size muffins will take about 18-25 minutes.

Brunch/ RECIPES

5 Ingredient Soft Granola Banana Bites

My friend, Carma, Mission B Fit, posted this recipe a few months ago and it is something we make on a regular basis here at our house.

Why?

~I always have the ingredients on hand
~They are easy!
~They are healthy—bananas and oats!!
~They have no added sugar
~They are not overly sweet
~They fill little tummies
~The are great for snacks, breakfast and packed in lunches
~They make our home smell like I’ve been baking banana bread all day
~My kids beg me for them

5 Ingredient Soft Granola Banana Bites
(inspired by Banana Cookies @ MissionBFit)

3 ripe bananas
2 cups rolled oats
1/3 cup oil (I use 1/4 c. coconut oil plus water to make 1/3 c.)
1 cup dried cranberries (or dates or raisins)
1 tsp vanilla
_______________
Optional ingredients:
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup chocolate chips or nuts in place of 1/2 cup of the cranberries

The Directions:
Mash bananas
Stir in oil & vanilla
Add oats, cranberries and optional ingredients.Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes, this softens the oats.
Drop by teaspoon on to ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

*The cookies will get slightly brown on top and will harden up like chewy soft granola bars when they cool. Don’t over bake!

Drinks/ RECIPES

Blueberry Banana Chia Oat Smoothie

I’m sipping on this hearty, filling, textured smoothie as I type away at this post. It is yummy! It is breakfast in a cup, which was perfect for me this morning. I’ve been carrying it around, sipping as I get stuff done around here.

I often use my Everyday Green Smoothie as a perfect base for adding whatever else to my smoothies. Usually it is frozen berries, but today I wanted the extra heartiness of oats. I also decided to throw some blueberries in there, which made it a pretty purple.

The oats make this a “textured smoothie” so if that is not appealing, skip the oats.

Blueberry Banana Chia Oat Smoothie

2 large handfuls of spinach (about 2 cups)

1 cup almond milk (or milk of choice-coconut, soy, dairy)

1 banana

1 scoop vanilla protein powder (I use Plant Fusion, see below)

1/3 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)

1 cup ice

1/3 cup oats (optional)

2 tbls chia seeds (optional)

Place spinach, almond milk, banana, chia and protein powder in blender. Blend until smooth. You should see a cortex in the middle, if you don’t add a bit more milk until you do. When smooth, add oats, then ice. Blend a bit more. Pour and enjoy!

This smoothie contains at least 16 grams of fiber and lots of protein from the powder and spinach. It is also a good source of iron (spinach), potassium (banana), and antioxidants.

Chia Seeds

Love ’em. Why?

~the are jammed packed with protein and minerals and healthy fats and fiber

~they provide more plant based Omega 3’s than any other food, even FLAX

~they have 5 GRAMS of fiber PER TABLESPOON!

~they are flavorless and dissolve in juice, soups, stews, shakes etc..

~they are FILLING!

The protein powder I use is Plant Fusion Pea Protein Powder. It is vegan and is sweetened with stevia herb. No yucky artificial sweeteners. Love it!

Brunch/ RECIPES

Whole Wheat Honey Banana Muffins

These muffins are GOOD! They are moist, have great texture and are 100% healthy, with no refined flour or sugars. To make the muffins lower in fat, replace half of the oil with unsweetened applesauce. I used whole wheat pastry flour, which is ground more fine and makes for a lighter, fluffier muffin.
The recipe was originally posted on Recipezaar, and given to me by my friend Joy (who is also responsible for passing on the waffle recipe on my blog–she knows how to find the good ones!)
This recipe makes a lot of muffins, which I love, but can be halved easily. The recipe states that it makes 24 regular sized muffins. I was able to get 4 mini loaves and 120 mini muffins out of one recipe. The muffins freeze well, and are great for breakfast or a quick snack. Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Honey Banana Muffins
3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp wheat germ (optional)
2/3 cup olive oil (I’d like to try coconut oil)
1 cup honey
4 eggs
2 cups mashed ripe bananas (I used 6)
1/2 cup hot water

1. Stir together dry ingredients
2. Beat oil and honey together; add eggs and beat well.
3. Add bananas and beat to combine.
4. Add dry ingredients to wet, alternating with hot water; mix well after each addition.
5. Spoon batter into 24 greased muffin cups; bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes, or until muffins are golden brown and test done.
6. Remove from oven and cool on rack.

{*thanks, Joy!}

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