Amazing Soaked Oatmeal For A Truly Healthy Breakfast

Soaked grains may be new for some of you and not so new for others.  It can seem overwhelming, but it actually makes cooking a healthy breakfast a little easier for me by completing some steps the night before.  First, let’s talk about WHY we need to soak these grains.

Phytic acid in the grain binds to iron, calcium, magnesium, copper, and zinc in the intestinal tract when you eat them because it contains phosphorous, thus preventing you from being able to absorb all of those nutrients.  Since those are fairly important nutrients, we need to do something about that phytic acid!  There are also enzyme inhibitors that limit digestion.   By soaking the grains in an “acid medium,” meaning something acidic, we can neutralize the phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors and essentially “pre-digest” the grain.  You will often hear that we are not meant to eat grains and they are too difficult to digest.  This is true UNLESS we prepare them properly.   Many people with gluten allergy or intolerance do fine with properly prepared grain.  Since this is an oatmeal recipe, though, a special word should be said about oats.

I buy organic oats in 25 lb bags for about $22 and freeze them for a few days to kill any bugs.  (Yep, there are microscopic bug eggs in any whole grain bought in bulk because it came from a field somewhere in the Midwest.  If you don't freeze your grains or treat them with DE (diatomaceous earth), you'll end up with tiny weevils or beetles in your bucket!  This may seem totally gross, but undertand that even the FDA realizes there is no way to eliminate bug eggs in grains.  The grains you buy at the grocery store have gone through a similar process because there were eggs in them, too.  When you buy in bulk, you just have to do the killing yourself.)   Then I store them in a food grade 5 gallon bucket with a gamma lid, which is a screw on  lid.  Makes for convenient and easy access. 

Oats contain extremely high amounts of phytic acid, BUT they contain very little phytase – the enzyme that breaks down the phytic acid.  The acid medium actually releases the phytase in the grains, which is what does the work for us.  Since oats don’t have much of the needed enzyme, we need to add some other whole grain which does have the phytase when we soak oats.  So, for every 1 cup of oats, we add 2 tbsp of a whole grain flour.  Oats can soak for 12 hours, but they will only be easier to digest with longer soaking, up to 24 hours.  Some examples of acid medium are apple cider vinegar (ACV – preferably organic and raw), kefir, buttermilk, whey, or yogurt.

*I usually double this recipe so I have enough leftovers for a second morning.

The night before, combine the following in a pot and cover with a towel:

·         3 cups thick rolled oats (can use gluten free) + 6 tbsp of whole wheat flour

·         3 cups water (filtered or spring)

·         6 tbsp acid medium (kefir, ACV, whey, buttermilk, etc.)

The next morning, add:

·         3 cups milk (raw is preferable)

·         1 tbsp cinnamon (can be added the night before)

 

Bring to a boil uncovered and reduce heat to a simmer.  Let it cook, still uncovered, for about 5 minutes or until it’s thick.  Turn off the heat and stir gently adding:

·         2 tbsp virgin, unrefined coconut oil

·         ½ cup raisins

·         ¼ cup shredded coconut

·         ¼ chopped nuts

 

My family likes to add organic grade B maple syrup to each serving.  It adds nutrients and a delicious flavor!   This is a truly healthy, filling oatmeal brimming with nutrients that your body can readily digest.  What a way to start the day! 

Until next time,

Pam