My husband loves oatmeal for his breakfast most every morning.
My daughter loves the same.
So oatmeal has become a staple in our home the past few months. I love that my husband and daughter have a special bond over their morning meal.
Though I am not a huge fan of bowl of oatmeal for my morning meal, I love cooking it for all of the following reasons:
1. It is packed full of wonderful nutrients that are nourishing for both my daughter and husband:
Protein
Builds musclePromotes healthy brain function and learningHelps improves your mood
Fiber
Helps lower cholesterol
Stabilizes blood sugar
Increases your feeling of fullness so you aren’t starving mid morning (therefore helping you lose weight)
B Vitamins
Maintains healthy skin and hair
Helps you have sustained energy throughout the day
Essential for building blood cells and maintaining healthy nerve cells (basically helping your body run at its best all day, everyday)
Magnesium
Helps in the formation of bone mass
Balances your hormones
Helps lower inflammation in the body (which is what leads to most all diseases)
Zinc
Improves immunity
Facilitates digestion
Slows down the aging process
2. The leftovers are awesome to use in making pancakes or cookies. Now that is how I like my oatmeal!
3. It is a perfect foundation for adding all types of nutritious foods. We love to add chia seeds, almond butter, blackberries, blueberries, and cinnamon. And those are just a few! Google overnight oats and you will find a plethora of ways to fix oatmeal to satisfy those sweet or savory tastebuds (try peanut butter chocolate chip cookie dough or strawberry shortcake).
4. It can be a safe dish to expose your little one to high allergen foods such as egg whites, dairy, or nut butters (we have mixed in almond and peanut butter, and nugget has loved both with no issues).
5. To build on the last one, it is also a safe dish to expose little ones to foods (especially fruits or veggies) they may be currently avoiding. I tried to give Mary Virginia blackberries one day, and she wasn’t interested. I added them to oatmeal, which she gladly ate. Now she loves to eat them plain!
6. Last, but not least, it is QUICK ad EASY to prepare. Enough said!
In summary, I love this daddy/daughter breakfast. It is a quick and easy meal that is nourishing for all. And this momma loves the words quick, easy, and nourishing when it comes to meals for her family!
Here is our daddy/daughter oatmeal recipe:
Daddy/Daughter Breakfast Oatmeal SAVE RECIPE
Ingredients
1/2 cup rolled oats (we use gluten-free)
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 tablespoon of chia seeds
1 tablespoon of almond butter
Topped with blueberries, blackberries, or whatever fruit you may be craving at the moment!
Directions
Combine rolled oats and almond milk in a saucepan and cook over medium heat for 7 - 10 minutes. Take off heat and stir in chia seeds and almond butter. Do this immediately after cooking as it helps the almond butter melt into the oatmeal. Top with your favorite fruit. It’s that easy!