Banana Berry Oatmeal

I came across this recipe over at The Discerning Brute, a blog for guys that I happen to read sometimes (hey it's interesting!). It looked super delicious and very healthy so I knew I would try it. I made it for a late breakfast/early lunch last weekend after we got back from a morning at the gym and grocery store. Here's how I made it, with a few variations from The Discerning Brute's original recipe:

Hearty Banana Berry Flax Oatmeal
Serves 2

1 1/2 cups of oats (not instant)
1 cup of water
1 cup almond milk
1 Tbs Maple Syrup
1/4 cup flax meal (ground flax seeds)
Handful of almonds (or your favorite nut)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 Large Banana, sliced
1/2 cup blueberries

Combine the water, milk and oats and bring to a boil over medium heat. Lower heat to a simmer and stir in the maple syrup, flax, almonds, cinnamon and vanilla. After 5 minutes the oats should be cooked so turn off the heat. Stir in the blueberries and banana.


My take on it: The original recipe called for equal parts oats and liquid (water + milk) which I completely disagree with. I've always made oatmeal with a 2:1 liquid to oats ratio. But I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt, so I only reduced the amount of oats from 2 cups to 1 1/2. I should've reduced the amount all the way to one cup because I still had to add some more water during the cooking process. However it may also be a personal preference. I like my oatmeal more liquidy.

I also forgot to add the almonds in the middle of the cooking so I threw them on top and stirred them in at the end. And my banana wasn't quite ripe enough.

Despite all that, I really liked the flavor of this recipe. AND it is so healthy for you. Blueberries, oats, flax, cinnamon are all great things to add to your diet. If you've never used ground flax before, I encourage you to try it. I bought a bag of Bob's Red Mill ground flax a few months ago and I've been putting it in everything. Smoothies, yogurt, cereal, oatmeal and cornbread to name a few. You can also stir it into soups and sauces. It's a great source of Omega-3 fatty acids.


Doesn't it look yum? I think I would eat this every morning if I could get myself out of bed early enough. This is the type of breakfast that keeps you full all the way till lunch.

Bottom Line: Definitely making this again with more liquid or less oats next time.

Top 10 Reasons to Eat Oatmeal