To say I spend the majority of my day dreaming about when I can eat breakfast again is an understatement. This morning’s breakfast did not disappoint. And what you don’t know is that there’s zucchini hidden in that oatmeal. Yep, turns out hidden veggies aren’t just for kids. What’s up now, junior??
So if you’ve read my blog at all, you know I love peanut butter and oats. But this morning I decided to go WILD and mix it up a bit. I added shredded zucchini to my oats to add a nice fiber, vitamin C, vitamin A, folate, and antioxidant kick to my morning. And no, you can’t even taste it. In fact, you can hardly even see it in there. This trick would be great for kids but, let’s be honest, it worked great at tricking me too! I used a cheese grater to shred it, but a food processor would work great too.
I always add cinnamon to my oatmeal. I do this for many reasons. First- cinnamon is a great substitute for sugar. It gives you the sweet taste that you desire without the added sugar or calories. Second- cinnamon is loaded with antioxidants. Third- cinnamon has been shown to help with blood sugar control which, over time, could help with weight loss. Sounds like a no brainer to me!
I threw some chia seeds on top for an omega 3 boost (with the perk of added fiber and protein too). And threw in a few blackberries for even more antioxidants! Boom!
Zucchini Oats
Ingredients:
· 1/3 cup uncooked old fashioned oats
· 1/2 of a zucchini, shredded
· 2/3 cup water
· 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
· 1 Tablespoon natural peanut butter
· 1/2 ounce walnuts
· 2 teaspoons chia seeds
· Berries to taste (I used blackberries)
Directions:
1. Place oats, zucchini, and water into a microwave safe bowl.
2. Cook on high for 2 minutes.
3. Stir in cinnamon.
4. Top with nut butter, walnuts, chia seeds, and berries.
5. Enjoy!
