My family loves oatmeal and we eat it almost every morning. Oatmeal doesn’t have to be boring as you can cook it with a variety of different ingredients to change it’s flavour. This recipe uses the ingredients typically found in carrot cake plus I add coconut and banana to make it even tastier. I like eating this dish as the carrots count towards my 5 serves of vegetables that I try to get each day. And oats are super healthy as they are a whole grain that contain resistant starch. 

​

Resistant starch is a starch that doesn’t get digested or absorbed in the small intestine. Instead, it travels to the colon and gets fermented by the gut bacteria and converted into short chain fatty acids called acetate, butyrate and propionate.  Studies have shown that short chain fatty acids exert multiple beneficial effects on the body including promoting the growth of beneficial bacterial in the gut, reducing the risk of colon cancer, improving blood sugar levels and insulin sensitivity, reducing inflammation and allergies, lowering cholesterol and preventing cardiovascular disease. You can read more about resistant starch and short chain fatty acids here.

​

Ingredients: (serves 2-4)

​

• 2 cups rolled oats

• 2 cups milk (or soymilk, nutmilk or other)

• 2 cups water

• 1 cup shredded carrot

• 2 small bananas sliced

• 1/4 cup shredded coconut

• 4 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped

• 2 tbsp dried cranberries or cherries or crimson raisins

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp ground ginger

• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

• pinch of ground clove

• 1 tsp vanilla paste

• 1 tbsp tahini

• 1 tsp maple syrup (plus extra for drizzle)

• 1 tbsp coconut paste (optional – this is a high fat product and if you are watching your weight you can omit to reduce the fat content of this dish)

• 1/4 cup walnuts, roughly chopped

 

Directions:

​

Put all ingredients (except the coconut paste and walnuts) in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Stir occasionally, cooking until oatmeal is creamy and most of the liquid has been absorbed (about 8-10 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in coconut paste if using. Scoop into bowls and sprinkle with walnuts. Drizzle with maple syrup. Enjoy!