Back to School Oats

It feels like ages since I have last posted here. August so far has been a crazy month. Between my parents returning from their month long trip, relatives from out of town staying with us and Emilia really testing the limits of what they call the 8 month regression, I am lucky my head is still on straight.

The Canadian National Exhibition has been up and running for over a week now, which means one thing for everyone, school is around the corner! This year will be my first in 27 years that I will not be participating in the first day of school as a student or as a teacher and to be honest, it doesn’t bother me at all. I still get the urge to buy a pack of 95 cent pencil crayons, but that will pass.

As an adult (not by choice) and teacher I am always looking for quick and easy breakfast and snack ideas to give me enough energy and enough patience throughout the day. I am always looking for foods that will help boost my immune system and keep my insides working smoothly as I do work in a germ infested environment.

Roasting rolled oats is something I like to do when I need an extra crunch in my food. Not only is is yummy over yogurt, chia pudding, but it’s also a great crouton replacement in my salad.

This time I decided to pair rolled oats with turmeric, cinnamon with a touch of honey for sweetness.

Turmeric

Turmeric has been raved by many for its plethora of medicinal benefits, but lately many have questioned whether or not they are true. This brightly coloured spice has been used for thousands of years as a medicinal herb and flavourful spice in cooking. I’m pretty sure there is some truth to it’s healing benefits.

It has been suggested that turmeric is jam packed with anti-oxidants, helps regulate heart disease, balance sugar levels, great for our skin, a cancer preventative, super for our immune system, and much more.

I am no food scientist, therefore I cannot verify whether or not turmeric is as healing as people say it is, but I’d like to think it is and will continue to use it with the intention that it does.

 

Cinnamon

Cinnamon, believe it or not is also a healing spice. It has also been proven to also be anti-inflammatory, to regulate sugar levels, reduce the risk of heart disease, a possible cancer preventative, and full of anti-oxidants. Also, it goes well with your cappuccino!

What is important to note is that you are getting the correct type of cinnamon. There are two types: Ceylon and Cassia. Cassia cinnamon is the common type that we all know and purchase at the grocery store, but also referred to as the ‘fake’ cinnamon because it contains a high dose of a toxic flavouring substance, called coumarin and doesn’t contain all the wonderful nutrients. Ceylon cinnamon is more difficult to locate, more expensive, but is what has all the beneficial medicinal properties we want.                                                Spices are one of those food items that are worth spending a little more in my opinion. You want to make sure you are getting good quality ingredients that are not full of heavy preservatives, added salt and other unnecessary stuff.

I decided to add these powerhouse spices with my rolled oats because, not only are they good for you, but they are quite tasty together. I am always looking for tasty ingredients to add to my chia pudding to give it some flavour and this definitely does the trick. Oats are full of fibre, protein and a number of vitamins and minerals. It’s a good source of carbohydrates, which will give you the energy to jumpstart your morning.

All in all, these ingredients together create a super tasty and good start to your day.

Happy First Day of School everyone!

Turmeric and Cinnamon Roasted Oats

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of rolled oats
• 3 tablespoons of Turmeric powder
• 2 tablespoons of Ceylon cinnamon (watch with the cinnamon, if you put too much it can go from tasting like a yummy fall treat to intense cinnamon hearts)
• 3 tablespoons of honey
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of sea salt

Directions:

Preheat oven at 400 degrees

In a bowl combine rolled oats, turmeric, cinnamon and salt.

Line a baking pan with parchment paper (less mess later)

Spread the spice covered oats onto the baking pan.

With a spoon drizzle honey over the oats.

Bake for about 5-7 minutes (this all depends on your oven, just watch for the oats to turn golden in colour).

Enjoy!

Antonietta xo

** All information about turmeric, cinnamon and oats is from healthline.com If you would like more information it is a great resource to refer to.

Resources

http://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods/oats#section6

http://www.healthline.com/nutrition/top-10-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-turmeric

http://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-proven-benefits-of-cinnamon