Complex Carb, High Fiber + Purple Breakfast

Steel Cut Oats + Japanese Purple Sweet Potatoes + Greek Yogurt

I look forward to waking up for breakfast because of this.

Not sure if it’s due to the edible purple addition or what, but I am hooked.

My favorite snack recently has been spreading almond butter on sliced purple sweet potatoes and topping that with cacao nibs. This recipe incorporates that idea into a well-balanced breakfast or healthy meal for anytime of the day.

Crunchy bitter cacao nibs balance out the sweetness from the baked sweet potatoes, stevia-sweetened greek yogurt, and cinnamon-sprinkled steel cut oats.

Ever heard this one? “Soluble fiber from foods such as oats, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease.” This is called a significant scientific agreement health claim.

Fun fact:  β-glucan (beta-glucan) is the water-soluble polysaccharide (type of carb that is comprised of multiple simple carbs, monosaccharides) responsible for oat’s lowering effect on cholesterol. It’s not affected by cooking. β-glucan, a viscous fiber, has been shown to decrease one’s LDL and overall cholesterol levels in the blood (LDL: low density lipoprotein, the cholesterol that forms deposits in the walls of blood vessels). Soluble fiber can also increase satiety value of foods (creating a sensation of fullness) by slowing down the rate at which ingested foods enter the small intestine (Queenan, et al., 2007).

The fiber from the healthy complex carbs can be very filling! Totally cool if you can’t consume it all, this is why the recipe provides varied measurements. Generally I pair 1/2 C oats with 3/4 C yogurt and 3/4 C sweet potatoes, but sometimes I want more potatoes and less oats, so I’ll adjust as necessary. Decide based on your hunger preferences. Worse comes to worse if you make too much, throw it in a tupperware in the fridge and store for later as a snack :-)

I like to include the greek yogurt because it provides protein, and the almond butter and nibs will add some healthy fats to pair with the complex carbs of the oats and sweet potatoes.

You may add some green pistachios for appeal if ya please.

Ingredients:

1/2-3/4 cup cooked steel cut oats (old fashioned oats work too. You can even use quinoa or brown rice!!)

3/4-1 cup low-fat greek yogurt (I used 0%, plain. Swap a non-dairy version to make vegan)

3/4-1 cup baked sweet potatoes/yams (any color works, switch it up for a variety of antioxidants/phytonutrients)

1-2 T almond butter (I used no salt, no sugar added, freshly ground)

1 T cacao nibs (optional)

stevia to taste, or raw honey or preferred sweetener (if necessary)

cinnamon, cloves, or other spices, to taste

Directions:

1. Prepare your oatmeal of choice, add spices and sweetener as desired

2. Add oats, greek yogurt, and sweet potatoes in a bowl

3. Add spices/sweetener to greek yogurt and mix

3. Top with almond butter, cacao nibs, or other toppings that you fancy.

4. Feel energized and healthy ;)

That’s it! Super easy, eat and enjoy!!

Reference:

Queenan, K. M., M. L. Stewart, K. N. Smith, W. Thomas, R. Gary Fulcher, and J. L. Slavin. “Concentrated Oat β-glucan, a Fermentable Fiber, Lowers Serum Cholesterol in Hypercholesterolemic Adults in a Randomized Controlled Trial.”National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 26 Mar. 2007. Web. 22 Feb. 2014.