The Real Breakfast of Champions

Nothing fancy here. Just singing the praises of pumped-up oatmeal.

Pumped-Up Oatmeal Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup oats
• 1 heaping Tbsp oat bran
• 1 Tbsp chia seeds
• ~1 Tbsp unsweetened Vanilla soy or almond milk
• 1 fresh Medjool date, chopped
• Spice options: pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground ginger

Steps:

1. Place the oats and oat bran in a bowl, and add a full cup of water. This is a much more watery ratio than the usual oat instructions, but you're adding more and cooking more, so trust me that it'll come out right. Also add in the chopped date- it'll add sweetness to the whole bowl as it heats.
2. Cook in the microwave for 2 minutes. Then add a little soy/almond milk and the chia seeds and spices, and mix. Heat for another 30 seconds, and then leave it in the microwave for 5-10 minutes. This allows the chia seeds to soak up the liquid and thicken everything.
3. Enjoy a warm bowl of healthy goodness!

So why is it pumped up, you ask?
Wellllll, there's more liquid than usual, so the texture's a bit fluffier. Also, using a "super food" like chia seeds, which are packed with healthy omega-3s, fiber, and protein, pack a pumped-up punch. Finally, using natural, healthy flavoring options (dates, spices) adds sweetness in a healthier way.

Options to keep your oatmeal pumped-up: 
Sweetening options: In addition to or instead of dates, you could include a microwaved banana (microwave a small sliced banana for about a minute- it gets caramel-y - and then add it to your cooked oatmeal), a little agave syrup (I like using maple agave), about a tablespoon of canned pumpkin, or dried blueberries or cranberries.

Healthy add-ins: In addition to or instead of chia seeds, use chopped walnuts for a little extra omegas, or flax seeds for fiber and protein.