Oats

Today I’d like to talk about the benefits of oats and share the super easy, nutrient dense banana oat pancake recipe.

People assume that every morning I have croissants or some bread for breakfast because I am French, but I have to say that living overseas for more than 20 years helped me realise that breakfast could be more than just bread and jam! Don’t get me wrong: I do enjoy the occasional pain au chocolate or the nice slice of sourdough bread toasted with good quality butter and some honey or marmelade.

However, if I want to be able to last all morning, I need something more filling and nutritious, so I have oats instead!

Oats are a highly nutritious food and are considered a good source of several essential nutrients.

Here are some of the science-based benefits of oats:

1. Heart Health: The soluble fibre (beta-glucan) content of oats has been shown to lower cholesterol levels and improve heart health.
2. Blood Sugar Control: The same fibre can also help to regulate blood sugar levels. It slows down the digestion of carbohydrates, leading to a slower and more stable release of glucose into the bloodstream, which can be especially beneficial for people with diabetes.
3. Weight Management: Oats are a low-calorie food that provides a feeling of fullness, making them an excellent choice for weight management.
4. Gut Health: Oats contain prebiotic fibres that feed the healthy bacteria in your gut, promoting a healthy microbiome. Can improve your bowel movement.

Nutrition facts:

Oats = magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, and thiamine, protein, fibre, potassium, They also contain a range of antioxidants, which help to protect the body from damage caused by free radicals.

The bottom line: oats are a highly nutritious food that can provide a range of health benefits, including improved heart health, blood sugar control, weight management, gut health, and a good balance of essential nutrients.

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Banana pancake recipe

Ingredients:

• 40g flour
• 1 tsp of aluminum-free baking powder
• 40g oats
• 2 eggs
• 100g organic Greek yoghurt
• 100g banana
• Coconut oil

Instructions

Mash the bananas until smooth and combine all ingredients together. Once you believe you have the right consistency, put some coconut oil in a saucepan and let the pancakes cook for about 2 minutes on each side!

To top it all and make the pancakes tastier and even more nutritious, you can add cinnamon, fruits, nuts, seeds and/or yogurt.

Enjoy!

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Interesting fact

Oats is one of the first crops to be domesticated by humans. Archaeological evidence suggests that oats were being grown in ancient China around 7,000 years ago, and they were also cultivated in ancient Egypt and Rome. Oats were not as widely grown as other cereal crops like wheat and barley, but they were popular in cooler, wetter regions where other crops struggled to grow. Today, oats are grown all over the world and are a staple food in many countries, particularly in the form of oatmeal or rolled oats for breakfast.