Day 5, Meal 1: N'Oatmeal

Wow, N'Oatmeal (recipe adapted from Paleon It Blog) is a real thing and it is really good. So good I forgot all about the egg white and oatmeal pancake I haven't eaten in a week! So good I could have eaten both servings. So good I am thinking about the next time I can make it. But it's also full of nuts, almond butter, coconut milk and bananas and eggs, so high fat content (all good fats) so it is important to portion control this out. This isn't a plate of steamed vegetables that we can over eat and not worry about. Too much of a good thing, is bad for you. I was worried it wouldn't be enough for Meal #1, but I am full and happy. I thought for a long time about nixing the banana from the recipe - it has been a week without bananas and fruit and I feel so much better. And bananas are high in starch and seem to cause my indigestion and bloating. But I figured since I wasn't eating it raw it wouldn't be too bad, and I was only eating half since I was only having half a serving, and if I left out the banana, the almond butter wouldn't be mushy or help the eggs form a custard. So I left it in. My stomach did bloat a little bit after eating but it doesn't hurt and I wasn't in any abdominal pain. I love this meal, but I will have to limit it to once a week (or 2 if Ryan doesn't have the other half a serving).

It's really easy to make but it takes patience, you don't want to end up with scrambled eggs with nuts! I topped mine with pumpkin seeds, goji berries and unsweetened coconut (and a dab of almond butter just for fun; I used Barney & Co. 'bare' almond butter so no sugar, only almonds and palm fruit oil). It was really sweet, surprisingly, and I will add more cinnamon and nutmeg next time. I didn't want to overpower the almond butter, but the extra spices will only make it better. It's a great recipe to experiment with, especially toppings. Oh, and when I ran out to get the real coconut milk, without any preservatives, I grabbed a bag of pecans so I pulsed just a few and added it to my mix that I prepared the night before. I'm not sure it really made a difference, but now I have more nuts in the house!

 N'Oatmeal
Serves 2

3 eggs
1/3 cup coconut milk, unsweetened, full fat
1 banana
1 tbsp almond butter
1/2 cup pecans*
1/2 cup almonds*
2 tbsp flax seed
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger

1. Add pecans, almonds, flax seed and spices to a food processor and pulse until is is a course grain (be careful not to completely grind it to a powder, I left a few larger pieces of nuts for some added crunch).

2. In a medium saucepan (no heat on), whisk together eggs and coconut milk until it thickens.

3. In a separate bowl, mash the banana and almond butter together.

 

4. Add banana/butter mixture to the saucepan and whisk together well. Get out all of the clumps, and it should thicken like a loose custard.

5. Add the nut mixture and mix well.

 

 

6. Heat the saucepan over medium heat and whisk until the oatmeal reaches your desired consistency. Continue to whisk so that you do not end up with scrambled eggs. I allowed mine to thicken a bit, just as I would oatmeal, it took about 5 minutes.

Serve and enjoy with toppings like fresh berries, pumpkin seeds, goji berries and unsweetened coconut flakes!

*I made a 1 cup mixture of almonds, cashews, walnuts and pecans

I brought my salad and 3 salmon cakes for lunch today. I still haven't decided if I am going to order sashimi or make a pork stirfry with the leftover balsamic pork and mixed vegetables. If I can find a good recipe on line, I could easily be tempted to forget about my sashimi, at least for a few more day.

I am a bit more tired today than I was yesterday - this could be from getting home late and staying up to watch Scandal. I really don't go to bed at 11:30pm because it's too late if I am getting up at 5:15am for Bar Method. But that is what happens when Olivia Pope puts on her white hat and the gladiators go to work! I also woke up worried about my coconut milk not being whole30 approved, so I am sure I was thinking about it all night while I slept. I have small stomach pains and I'm not sure if that's from being dehyrdated or the n'oatmeal (the banana? too many nuts in one meal? coconut milk?) I am waiting it out until lunch to see how things go. I had to stop drinking at 4pm yesterday and chugged 2 bottles of water when I got home at 7:30pm but I didn't have anything to drink with breakfast, I just wasn't thirsty, which was a big mistake on my part. Now I am forcing myself to drink my second bottle of water of the day.

I did not go to Bar Method this morning so I decided to walk to work. It was a bit breezy but warmer than usual so it was really enjoyable. I can't wait for when it really warms up and I can do it with a lighter coat! I felt like I was sweating by the end of the 20 minutes!

Have a great day everyone!

XO