Bananas – Make Your Someday Today

Overnight No-Cook Oatmeal
Serves 1

Basic recipe is equal amounts of:
Yogurt
Milk
Dry oatmeal (not instant)
Spices

I used 1/2 cup of each of oatmeal, skim milk and Fage 2% Greek yogurt, and a half teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon allspice.

Mix together in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
The next morning, add your fruit of choice, and (if desired) a source of healthy fats.

I used a small banana and 1 ounce (32g) almond butter.

Mix together. You can serve this cold, but I preferred it warm.

The texture is incredibly smooth. It looks like “normal” oatmeal, but it is silkier and softer from the overnight soak.

Nutritional data (for just the basic recipe, not adding the banana or nut butter):

Calories: 305

Fat: 5.6g

Sat fat: 2.7g

Chol: 9.6mg

Sodium: 100.4mg

Carbs: 40.3g

Fiber: 4.8g

Protein: 23.8g

You can certainly reduce those numbers by using only 1/3 cup of each ingredient and using fat free yogurt. I just used what had on hand.

The variations are limitless. You can use different yogurts, fruits, butters (optional) and spices.

Note: Thanks for this recipe go out to a follower, Andrew Carpenter, for giving me this suggestion. This was an excellent and seriously simple breakfast. I will make and post variations as I try them.

Berries and Cream

Serves 1

1 banana, sliced
1/2 cup strawberries, sliced
1/4 cup fresh blueberries (although frozen and thawed will work)
3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Combine all ingredients in a bowl
Stir together.
Enjoy!

Nutritional data:

Calories: 288

Fat: 15.8g

Sat fat: 10.6g

Chol: 60mg

Sodium: 17.4mg

Carbs: 38.7g

Fiber: 5.6g

Protein: 2.1g

A word about this breakfast:

When I was growing up (back in the 60’s), I remember staying with a relative for a few weeks. It was a dairy farm and the meals were laden with fresh whole milk, butter, and of course, cream. My Aunt Ruth made me a breakfast that included a dish similar to what I have here (except the cream was freshly dipped from the bulk tank. That stuff is rich!)

We never had cream at my house growing up, because my parents were always calorie conscious, and cream was just not part of the plan. I never ate a meal like this again, until last summer, when my wife and I were on vacation. One of the B&Bs served this for breakfast. The memory stuck with me, and I decided to share this exceedingly simple recipe here.

Many people who are trying to lose weight immediately start using low fat/ no fat versions of food, thinking that ridding fat from their daily menu will be the secret of weight loss. And that can work. But it is only one method. The likelihood is that most of my readers will have fruit in their house, but will not have “real” cream.

This recipe uses heavy whipping cream, but only 3 tablespoons. If you haven’t had a breakfast like this, the cream is thick and rich. It clings to the fruit, so that you only need a little because you will get some cream with every spoonful. The richness of the cream and the inherent sweetness of the fruit eliminate the need for any added sugar. It is also rich enough to fill you and satisfy your hunger for longer because of the fats.

If this recipe scares you, you can use half-and-half, and you will save 95 calories, but you will lose the flavor and texture that heavy cream brings to this meal. So, if this recipe scares you a little, go to your local market, buy a half-pint of heavy cream and try it. Push your boundaries and discover other tastes that you maybe thought were unavailable.

This also makes a killer dessert after your evening meal.

You can vary this recipe and use any ripe fruit or berry that you like. Enjoy!