Breakfast: Maple Date-Nut Oatmeal Breakfast Squares

Recipe by Lia Huber A perfect make-ahead breakfast treat, these maple date-nut oatmeal squares can feed a crowd or be frozen for another day. Serve with hot coffee or juice.

This recipe includes fertility superfoods such as:

Cinnamon, Apples, Nuts, Walnuts

Health and fertility benefits of Maple Date-Nut Oatmeal Breakfast Squares

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). 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

1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 cup chopped pitted dates
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup vanilla low-fat yogurt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups quick-cooking oats (not instant)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 °.
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, stirring slowly with a wooden spoon until well combined.
Spray a 9- x 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Pour batter into pan, and spread evenly.
Bake 25 minutes or until just golden brown around edges. Cool and cut into squares.

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