Breakfast: Christmas Morning Oatmeal

Recipe by Christine Gofron Start this the night before in your slow cooker and wake up to a hearty, hot breakfast for the whole family! If you have a large family and a large slow cooker you can easily double the recipe. Serve with cream or milk as you c

This recipe includes fertility superfoods such as:

Cinnamon, Cranberries, Apples, Nuts, Walnuts

Health and fertility benefits of Christmas Morning Oatmeal

Cinnamon is one of the best ingredients that someone with insulin sensitivity can eat. Half a teaspoon of cinnamon per day has been shown to be very effective at normalizing blood sugar levels. Cinnamon contains hydroxychalcone, which is thought to enhance the effects of insulin. It has also been suggested that Cinnamon prevents post-meal blood sugar spikes by slowing the gastric emptying rate - meaning that food digests slowly. (Reference: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11506060). Researchers believe that cranberries contain substances that prevent infection-causing bacteria from sticking to the urinary tract walls. However, store-bought cranberry juice is typically all sugar - so make sure to stick with straight cranberries. Apples will improve your body's sensitivity to insulin (Reference: http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/27/1/281.full) Nuts are a natural source of Inositol, a derivative of Vitamin B (which is often prescribed in the form of supplements for women with PCOS). Inositol can effectively control the symptoms of PCOS by reducing insulin resistance and improving insulin sensitivity. Walnuts are low on the glycemic index. What’s more, they also lower the glycemic index of other foods that you eat in conjunction with these nuts. Any kind of nuts provide a healthy source of fat and a great way to encourage PCOS weight loss.

Ingredients

1/3 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4 inch thick
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup butter, cut into pieces
2 cups regular rolled oats
2 cups water
1 cup apple juice
1 cup cranberry juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup candied walnuts (optional)

Instructions

Mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a bowl. Add the apples and cranberries, tossing to coat evenly with the sugar mixture. Pour into a slow cooker. Top with butter pieces.
Mix the oatmeal together with the water, apple juice, cranberry juice, and salt in a bowl, and pour over the apple mixture in the slow cooker. Do not stir. Cover, and cook on Low for 8 hours.
Stir before serving. Spoon into bowls and top with candied walnuts, if desired.

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