As I was eating my breakfast I thought of just skipping a week of Serve It Up Saturday because I was feeling uninspired. Last week we focused on wraps using collard leaves. While I was waiting for my pictures of breakfast to upload and taking another bite of the post, I mean, the carrot cake oatmeal; I realized Serve It Up Saturday was staring me right in the face. Literally. A week of morning oatmeals.

I like the idea of sharing more than one recipe because it involves a stretch of creativity and a challenge to make different and tasty dishes. It also, hopefully, gives you inspiration to try one of them or create your own.

My oatmeal will be baked in the oven but that doesn’t mean you have to. I only have a big stock pot and I don’t own a microwave, so my best viable option is the oven. If you have instruments that allow you to try it stove top or microwave, feel free. I just haven’t tested the recipes that way. I promise you the recipes will be nutritious and satisfying – giving hugs to your soul and your tummy, but they won’t necessarily be low-fat. I say that because this morning’s oatmeal, technically, has 18 g of fat.

I find that when I eat good fats (like coconut oil) and they’re done so in a healthy manner, whether raw or healthy cooked – that I am satisfied and don’t seek out foods for binge eating or snacking. So if something is higher fat than you’re used to or comfortable with, please try it and see if it satisfies you or try subbing ingredients to make a lower fat version. I was super impressed with the slew of vitamins that this little bowl contained as well as the high fiber and protein counts.

Time Saver Tips:

• Buy a bag of shredded carrots – making it easy to add to wraps or oatmeal
• Buy whole carrots, peel them and using your food processor with the grating blade, grate them. Do enough to last you the week
• If you have the time, hand grate a fresh peeled carrot right before you need it

This oatmeal can be one serving or two, it can be baked while you workout and then enjoyed after, OR eat some of it before your workout and some of it after.

As a person that learned about raw foods almost 2 years ago, I can say it has been quite a journey. I love all the new ways I look to prepare fruits and veg. If you’re unfamiliar with raw and living foods, think of it as ultimate vegan eating that consists of nuts, sprouts, fruits, and vegetables. Food is minimally heated, never above 118 degrees F.

There was a point when I ate all raw, all the time and I was consuming a lot of written information. During this, I somehow had convinced myself that whole old-fashioned rolled oats were evil. How can they be evil?? I still remember when I used to eat prepared oatmeal in packets – of the instant variety and switched to old fashioned oats as a healthier way of eating breakfast. How can those same oats that were once the healthy option, now be the evil one? They can’t, which leads me to say we’re all on our own healthy evolutions. I’m working on the story of mine and I bet you are too. I do know I don’t ever want to feel guilty or bad about eating something that is good for me. I am a woman in good health – for I strive to be – by reading and keeping myself knowledgeable and feeding my body well.

Guilt is negative and dangerous emotion and can undo all the other good things we may have been working towards. Just saying. It’s another reason why I’m okay with 18 grams of good wonderful tasty fat for breakfast. That healthy fat is good for my hair, skin, digestion, thyroid, and heart.

Thank you for reading….and Are you ready for a week of oatmeal recipes? Yes! Although I will need to buy more oats. Let’s reconvene here next Friday and see what everyone tried.