We hope everyone will join us, this Thursday, October 23, for another healthy and delicious Pathfinder Produce fresh fruit and veggie market. Stop by from 2 to 5 p.m. for the freshest tastes around!
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This week as
part of our 21 Paths to Wellness to celebrate National Down Syndrome Awareness Month, we will feature a new
healthy recipe, Slow-Cooker Overnight Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal, at our
weekly Pathfinder Produce market on Thursday. This is a bit of a different tack
for us at the market, because we don't sell the key ingredient in the recipe,
but oats are such a nutritional powerhouse, how can you go wrong?
For me, oatmeal is a comfort food, and it was one of my favorite breakfasts growing up. I have dim memories of my mom cooking Maypo, for me very early on. I also have memories of the Maypo commercials, as do most people my age. The slogan “I want my Maypo,” was apparently the inspiration for the campaign that introduced our generation to MTV in the 1980s. (“I want my MTV” is also a recurring refrain sung by Sting in the Dire Straits hit, “Money for Nothing.”)
Later, when I was able to fix my own breakfast, instant oatmeal became the hot cereal of choice, as it was easy, quick and kept me going through long days at school and sports practices. Nowadays, I don't eat oatmeal as often, but when I do I usually make it using old fashioned rolled oats. I still like to add a touch of real maple syrup too, but I really try to not make it overly sweet.
Oats are a grain crop that grow well on marginal soils, and were being grown by European farmers by the Bronze Age, between 3200–600 BC. (The crop developed earlier in the Fertile Crescent). Oats do not require as much heat to ripen as do other cereal plants, and they are able to tolerate cool, wet summers. Along with being used in our diets, oats were relied on as animal fodder, especially in the days of horse-drawn implements to provide draft animals extra energy to work. Additionally, oats are grown as a green fertilizer, used for animal bedding, and were even used as a beer ingredient in England, according to Wikipedia.
The World's Healthiest Foods website offers many good reasons why we should all try to eat more oatmeal. According to WHF, “Oats, oat bran, and oatmeal contain a specific type of fiber known as beta-glucan. Since 1963, study after study has proven the beneficial effects of this special fiber on cholesterol levels. Studies show that in individuals with high cholesterol (above 220 mg/dl), consuming just 3 grams of soluble oat fiber per day (an amount found in one bowl of oatmeal) typically lowers total cholesterol by 8-23%. This is highly significant since each 1% drop in serum cholesterol translates to a 2% decrease in the risk of developing heart disease.”
WHF adds that newer research from Tufts University suggests that oats may offer unique compounds, avenanthramides, which serve to protect LDL cholesterol from becoming oxidized by free radicals, which makes this “bad cholesterol” even more dangerous by causing artery damage. Another study by Harvard researchers also found that men taking part in a Physicians Health Study for almost 20 years significantly reduced their likelihood of heart failure by 29% if they had one bowl a day of whole grain oatmeal.
Oats other benefits include boosting the immune system's response to infection, leveling out blood sugar levels, lowering one's risk for Type 2 diabetes, and providing significant protection against breast cancer for women. Oats are also appear to be well-tolerated by those who have celiac disease, according to a recent double blind study involving 116 children recently diagnosed with this autoimmune disorder.
Here’s our recipe for this week, and we hope you’ll stop by Pathfinder Produce to try a sample:
Overnight Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal (from the
blog, Chocolate
Broccoli)
Non-stick cooking spray
2 large tart apples (such as Granny Smith or Pink
Lady), chopped
1 1/2 cups skim milk
1 1/2 cups skim milk
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup whole grain oats
3 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar (this can be reduced if too sweet)
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon cinnamon (more or less to your taste)
2 tablespoons milled/ground flaxseed
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Additional Toppings:
1 cup whole grain oats
3 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar (this can be reduced if too sweet)
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon cinnamon (more or less to your taste)
2 tablespoons milled/ground flaxseed
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Additional Toppings:
1/4 cup dried fruit (raisins, cranberries)
1/4 cup chopped nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans)
Spray a 3-1/2 quart or larger slow cooker (crock-pot) with non-stick cooking spray. Combine chopped apples, milk, water, oats, sugar, butter, and flax, stirring to combine. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours (overnight). Stir in 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt into the oatmeal just before serving. If desired, serve with additional toppings (1 tablespoon dried fruit and 1 tablespoon chopped nuts, each)
Yield: 4 one-cup servings.
Nutritional Information per Serving: Calories: 321; Fat: 13 g; Carbohydrate: 46 g; Fiber: 6 g; Protein: 7 g
Until next time, eat hearty and be well!
Lori
1/4 cup chopped nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans)
Spray a 3-1/2 quart or larger slow cooker (crock-pot) with non-stick cooking spray. Combine chopped apples, milk, water, oats, sugar, butter, and flax, stirring to combine. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours (overnight). Stir in 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt into the oatmeal just before serving. If desired, serve with additional toppings (1 tablespoon dried fruit and 1 tablespoon chopped nuts, each)
Yield: 4 one-cup servings.
Nutritional Information per Serving: Calories: 321; Fat: 13 g; Carbohydrate: 46 g; Fiber: 6 g; Protein: 7 g
Until next time, eat hearty and be well!
Lori
