Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal

I've become a big fan of oatmeal in the mornings so here's a skinny comfort food version of it - perfect for fall and winter mornings!  It takes about half an hour - so you can mix it up, pop it in the oven, and go shower!

 

You'll need:

3/8 cup canned pure pumpkin

1/4 cup plain greek yogurt (I used Dannon Oikos)

1/2 cup old fashioned oats

1/8 tsp reduced sodium baking powder

3tbsp liquid egg whites

cinnamon

3/4 tsp truvia baking blend

1/2tsp packed splenda brown sugar blend

 

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine greek yogurt & egg whites in a small dish and mix well.  Add to oats, baking powder, pumpkin, cinnamon, and truvia.  Mix well. 

Spray baking dish (I used a small little dish and it worked great) with non-stick cooking spray.  Pour in oatmeal mixture. 

Bake 30 minutes

Remove from oven - stir - add splenda brown sugar.

 

244 Calories

3g Fat

40g Carbs

8g Fiber

16g Protein

130mg Sodium

Brown Sugar Banana Baked Oatmeal

Here's an updated version of the baked oatmeal.... Slightly different - and more 'cakey' in texture.  Low in calories, low in sodium, and a fair amount of protein.  These are GREAT with greek yogurt (flavor of your choice, or I like to do plain greek yogurt and add some vanilla protein powder and cinnamon to the yogurt) - and make a great addition to breakfast or even as a snack!

2 medium bananas (this is a great recipe to use your over ripe bananas too!) - sliced

2 cups quick oats

2 scoops vanilla protein powder

2 eggs

1 tsp baking powder (reduced sodium)

dash salt (I use salt substitute)

2 cups unsweetened coconut milk

1/2tsp Truvia

2tsp splenda brown sugar blend

Cinnamon (to taste)

Preheat oven to 375.  Spray 13x9 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.  Place bananas in bottom of baking dish in single layer.  Sprinkle with a dash (about 1/3 of the 1/2tsp Truvia) and cinnamon.  Cover with aluminum foil - bake 15 minutes (10 minutes if bananas are already a bit soft).

Beat eggs together.  Combine all remaining ingredients in large bowl - mix well. 

Remove bananas from oven - remove foil.  Pour oat mixture over bananas.  Spread evenly. 

Sprinkle cinnamon on top. 

Bake (uncovered) for 30 minutes (still at 375). 

Remove from oven, let cool, cut into 12 even 'bars'.

115 Calories

3g Fat

16g Carbs

2g Fiber

7g Protein

49mg Sodium

Banana Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal

I've made a variation of this before.... But this time I tweaked it a bit.  Took out the berries .... added some protein powder.... and added some YUMMY dark chocolate chips.  Who wouldn't like this?  It's perfect if you want something sweet/pastry like for breakfast but don't want the guilt.  It's also a perfect snack -- and would make a great pre or post-workout snack!! 

1 medium banana - sliced

1 cup quick oats

dash salt (I used salt substitute for lower sodium)

1/2 tsp baking powder (I used Rumford low sodium)

1 egg

1 scoop vanilla protein

1 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk

1/2 tsp honey

3/4 tsp Truvia (or sweetener of choice)

1tsp vanilla extract

Cinnamon

1tbsp chocolate chips (I used dark chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 375.  Spray 8x8 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.  Place banana slices on bottom of baking dish in single layer.  Sprinkle with some cinnamon, and some 1/4 tsp Truvia.  Cover dish with foil and bake for 15 minutes.  Combine dry ingredients (oatmeal, salt, baking powder, truvia, & cinnamon) in a dish.  In another dish, whisk together milk, honey, vanilla, & egg.   Pour oatmeal mixture over bananas.  Then pour milk mixture over oatmeal & bananas. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top.  Bake 30 minutes, until oatmeal is set.

Makes 6 servings.

125 Calories

4g Fat

17g Carbs

2g Fiber

7g Protein

50g Sodium

APPLE CINNAMON OATMEAL!

This is so simple, tasty, and super healthy!!  What a great start to the day.  I paired my apple cinnamon oatmeal with some greek yogurt & berries.  Most people find that oatmeal fills them up pretty good too - and since I don't eat much bread - this is a great way for me to get my grains!

1/4cup Quick Oats

1/2 cup water

2tbsp no sugar added appleauce

2packets splenda

dash cinnamon

Add Oats, water, & splenda to a bowl - microwave for about 90 seconds.  Remove from microwave and add applesauce & cinnamon - stir.  Enjoy.  

*You can of course cook this on the stove, but a lot of folks don't have time to cook on the stove in the morning before work which is why I posted these instructions*

90 Calories

2g Fat

17g Carbs

3g Fiber

3g Protein

3mg Sodium

Pumpkin Oatmeal

Ahhh.... Why didn't I think of this sooner?  This is the perfect breakfast for this time of year - or yesterday I had it as my pre-gym snack!

I use Better Oats OatFit Maple & Brown Sugar Oatmeal -- This comes in boxes of 5 packets - and the packets actually can be used to measure out the water, so you can make the perfect bowl of oatmeal every time!  You can find BetterOats at Target, and they often have them on sale for $1 per box!  They make various different flavors - I like the OatFit variety because they are only 100 calories per pack.  They have just the right amount of sweetness!

1packet OatFit Maple & Brown Sugar Oatmeal

1/3 cup Canned Pumpkin (Libby's 100% canned pumpkin)

1/2tsp sugar

1/8 scoop vanilla whey protein (I used Jillian Michael's Natural Whey Protein Powder)

1/10 cup 2% or skim milk

Prepare the oatmeal as you normally would.  Mix in all other ingredients and stir until nicely blended.  ENJOY!

162 Calories

2g Fat

25g Carbs

6g Fiber

240mg Sodium

8g Protein

Three Cheers for Greek Yogurt!

I'm a bit of a late comer to the Greek Yogurt craze..... In fact, I've tried it before but didn't like it.

However, it's so delicious to me now!  And there's good reason to eat it! 

High protein - 2x the protein in regular yogurt!

Lower Sodium - up to 50% less sodium than regular yogurt! 

Less Carbs - 40-50% less carbs than regular yogurt! 

Lactose intolerant?  Try Greek Yogurt - easier to digest than regular yogurt!

Rich, Creamy, Smooth Texture - It's much more filling than regular yogurt too, because it's creamy & thick!

For additional information, check out - http://www.livestrong.com/article/86488-benefits-greek-yogurt/

I've had Chobani Greek Yogurt for breakfast the past two mornings.... Yesterday, I tried the Pomegranate (YUM!) and today I tried the Pineapple (Double Yum!)

I also like to add dry oatmeal to my yogurt.  I just put a couple of tablespoons on top and mix it in.  It's so good - and a great way to get some oats in ya! 

Yogurt & Oats combined - 

207 Calories

30g Carbs

1g Fiber

4g Fat

15g Protein