This Overnight Coconut & Hemp Oatmeal absolutely hit the taste and nutrition jackpot! Packed with fiber and protein from oats, hemp seeds, flax seeds and coconut, as well as omega-3 fatty acids from grass-fed butter and flax, this is a nursing mums dream – well actually, it tastes so damn delicious its for everyone. Just a little bit of raw honey gives it just the right amount of sweetness and the butter makes it nice and creamy. And I know you probably won’t believe me, but: this does really taste like dessert!
I like to meal-prep this on Sundays: I fill five 2 cup pyrex glass containers with everything but the water, I add that the night before. To be honest, I prep more than 5 because I am so freaking addicted to this oatmeal I often eat 2 per day! And the beauty of prepping this is I can just grab one and add water! If I do decide to have another on to get me over my 3pm hump, I just add water and heat it up without soaking. That is totally fine, although it does in fact taste better when it soaks over night. But, still totally delicious if not. Only downside is that you are not getting the benefits of soaking the oats.
What are the benefits of soaking oats anyway?
To be honest, this has been a mystery for me for the longest time. It was long before I even heard of this but once I fully understood what happens when oats sit in water for 8 hours, I got hooked. Oats contain a high amount of phytic acid which binds to minerals such as magnesium, calcium, iron, and zinc in our digestive tract. This make them less digestible in the body and inhibits the proper absorption of those minerals. When oats soak for about 8 hours over night, their starches break down which improves digestibility and their natural phytic acid is greatly reduced.
Health Benefits of Oatmeal
Did you know that oats are an excellent prebiotic? Oatmeal feeds the good bacteria in your gut and helps you contain a healthy gut flora. Oats also contain slow carbohydrates, protein, and essential fatty acids – which makes them extra valuable for nursing mums! And although there is no scientific evidence that oatmeal increases milk supply, many lactation consultants suggest eating oatmeal to do so. One reason why oats might in fact increase milk supply is that they are naturally high in iron, and that oatmeal is a true comfort food which can lower your stress level – and we all know that stress is a milk killer. Oh, and to add one more fun fact about oats: they also act as a cholesterol fighter. The fiber in oats – called beta-glucan – has been shown to reduce LDL levels – aka your ‘bad’ cholesterol – by 5 to 10 percent.
- ⅓ cup quick oats
- 1 tbsp hemp seeds
- 1 tbsp golden flax seeds
- 1 tbsp unsweet coconut flakes
- 1 tbsp raw honey
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp cinnamon (or less, to taste)
- Place all ingredients in a 2 cup bowl and add ⅔ cups of water.
- Let the oatmeal sit overnight in the refrigerator.
- Place in the microwave for about 1 minute before serving to melt the honey and the butter and to enjoy warm.
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