Strawberry Chia Maple Oatmeal Recipe

This is one of my favorite weekday breakfasts. It reminds me of the packets of oatmeal I would eat as a kid, but contains only natural sugar and has fresh fruit and healthy seeds. It also only takes 10 minutes! I go between this recipe and my peanut butter banana oatmeal recipe when I don’t have my morning smoothie. I often choose this one on my rest days from the gym when I need fewer calories and will have a salad for lunch to make up for the greens I’m not getting from the smoothie. Having this variety in my meals helps me to not get bored with what I’m eating every week, but still meet my nutrition goals. I just make sure I have the ingredients for whatever I may want to make during the week and then decide based on how I feel. It’s nice to mix it up a bit! It is also easy and cost-effective to eat this way because these meals require a lot of the same ingredients.

Ingredients: (Makes 2 servings)

1 cup old-fashioned oats

3/4 cup of strawberries (about 8-10 mid-sized strawberries), diced

3 Tablespoons chia seeds

pinch of sea salt

3 cups of water, non-dairy milk or a blend of both (I use 2 cups of almond milk and 1 cup of water)

2 Tablespoons maple syrup

Instructions:

Add oats, strawberries, chia seeds, and sea salt to a pot. Add milk and/or water and stir to combine. Heat over medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Be sure to stir the oats and chia seeds well and mash the strawberries while cooking. You will know the oatmeal is done when all the liquid is absorbed and the oats are thick and fluffy.

Add 2 Tablespoons of maple syrup to the pot and mix well to combine.

Enjoy!