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Welcome toThrifty. A weekly column where nutrition editor and registered dietitian Jessica Ball keeps it real on how to grocery shop on a budget, make healthy meals for one or two, and make Earth-friendly choices without overhauling your entire life.
I’m a Dietitian & These Are 12 Recipes I Make with a Box of Oats
Baked oats are great for so many reasons: they’re versatile, super healthy and a great way touse up a lot of fruit—including fruit preserves like cranberry sauce. Plus, they’re simple to make. Most of our recipes call for mixing together about 1½ cups of your milk of choice with 2 large eggs and about ½ cup sweetener like brown sugar or maple syrup, then adding that to a dry mix of around 2½ cups oats, 1 teaspoon of baking powder and any other spices you want to add. (I typically use ourBlueberry Baked Oatsrecipe as a guide and swap in other fruits or spices as desired.) Other optional additions include a few tablespoons of melted butter, citrus zest, vanilla extract and nuts. Then, I’ll add the oats to a baking dish and top with my desired fruit. In this instance, I added orange zest, chia seeds and walnuts to the batter, then swirled my leftover cranberry sauce across the top. Simply bake at 375℉ for about 40 minutes and you’ll have 10 servings of a heart-healthy breakfast ready for the week.
Not only does this breakfast help me cut down on food waste, but it’s also really nourishing. Oats are a great source of fiber, and the specific type of fiber they contain (called beta-glucan) helps tolower cholesterol levels and promote heart health. When combined with the protein in milk, they help keep you full and energized all morning long. Chia seeds add an additional boost of fiber and protein as well as brain-healthyomega-3 fatty acids. Plus, cranberries are packed withantioxidant compoundsthat help support immune health, heart health, urinary tract health and more. And last but certainly not least, the flavor of these cranberry baked oats is super delicious and seasonal.
What Happens to Your Body When You Eat Oatmeal Every Day
Getting creative with leftovers can help you save money and cut down on food waste. And you might just stumble upon your next favorite recipe, as I did with this cranberry riff on my go-to baked oats breakfast. It’s easy to make, offers a variety of health benefits and is a tasty way to start the day. Having a delicious and healthy meal-prepped breakfast is a great way to get back to feeling your best after the holiday season, too.
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