We try to fill our home with as much ‘healthy’ food as possible but, when bringing up kids (and as adults, living on little sleep, and just generally being only human and therefore having a penchant for carbs and sugar..), inevitably there are sweet treats lurking in our cupboards. Breakfast is a tricky one though; for me it’s the most important meal of the day not necessarily nutritionally but almost mentally – what you put in your mouth first thing in the morning can dictate how you feed yourself, and your general headspace therefore, for the whole rest of the day. But then again, you – or your kids – don’t always feel like chowing down a spinach smoothie first thing in the morning…
Which is sort of what this recipe is about. Jack absolutely loves cheerios – but I’m well aware that they contain sugars which I’d rather he didn’t eat. So this breakfast is a compromise – he can eat his cheerios, and have fun dunking them in the milky yogurt, but he also enjoys the chia which despite their teeny tiny size, are amazingly packed full of nutrition and are a great source of fiber, protein, omega-3 fatty acids.
WHAT YOU NEED:
A generous handful of chia seeds
Half a bowl of milk (though it really depends how milky you like the oats – add more milk for a more ‘cereal’ like experience, more chia seeds and oats for a more solid consistency. You’ll see what I mean once you try it…)
A cup of oats
A few tablespoons of yoghurt
A dash of cinnamon and vanilla essence
A selection of fruit
An ‘unhealthy’ topping (we use cheerios – Cinnamon Grahams are next up…)
TO DO:
The night before the morning you plan to eat this, you will need to carve yourself out literally 30 seconds to prepare the below. And it’ll be the best spent time of your day, I am telling you.
Grab a bowl, and fill it three quarters way to the top with a milk of your choice (I use almond, dairy-free milk but any milk will do. I want to try it with coconut milk) Add the oats, cinnamon, and vanilla essence. Then grab a generous handful of chia seeds, and mix everything together. Cover with some clingfilm, place in the fridge to soak (you can also leave to soak for a few hours but it always seems to taste better when left to soak overnight).
Best served with a load of fresh fruit, of course that generous sprinkling of an ‘unhealthy’ something and a big smile (and cup of coffee for mama!)
Give it a go and let me know how you get on.
Love,
Emma xx