Powerhouse Oatmeal Parfait

Powerhouse Oatmeal Parfait Packs a Punch

By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by National Dairy Council and the Quaker Oats Center of Excellence and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.

I love oatmeal. I eat oatmeal for breakfast normally about 5 out of 7 mornings a week. It’s my favorite breakfast. I change it up by adding different toppings, such as ground cinnamon, cocoa nibs, walnuts, dried plums, dried apricots, frozen blueberries, and other foods. So, I was excited to hear about a recipe contest featuring oatmeal and lowfat or nonfat dairy products, of which I am also a big fan.

Most people, in fact 99%, don’t meet the recommended daily requirement for whole grains; and 85% don’t meet the daily requirement for dairy. So, one easy way to help meet these requirements is to start your day with a bowl of oatmeal and milk or yogurt.

For this contest, I decided to create a recipe for oatmeal that was packed full of nutrients and that anyone would love to eat. In my recipe, I cook the oatmeal in fat free milk instead of water for added nutrition with a little bit of cinnamon. I then layer the cooked oatmeal with lowfat vanilla yogurt, fresh raspberries, and toasted almonds for a nutritious breakfast parfait. Serving it in a parfait glass instead of a regular bowl adds to the fun factor and eye appeal.

This parfait provides a powerhouse of nutrients as just one serving provides an excellent source of protein (22 grams), fiber (10 grams), calcium (54%), and vitamins D, C, and B-12. It is also fast and easy to make on a busy weekday morning.

Powerhouse Oatmeal Parfait Packs Nutrients

Here’s the recipe:

Powerhouse Oatmeal Parfait

Ingredients:

1/2 cup old fashioned or quick cooking oatmeal

1 cup fat free milk (can be lactose-free, if desired)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup fresh raspberries

6 ounces lowfat or fat free vanilla yogurt

1 tablespoon sliced almonds, toasted

Directions:

Cook oatmeal according to package directions, cooking in milk instead of water and omitting salt if listed. Stir in cinnamon. Place half of oatmeal in bottom of 12-ounce or larger parfait glass; press down with spoon to eliminate air pockets. Top with half of yogurt, then half of raspberries. Repeat layers one more time. Sprinkle top with almonds.

Makes 1 serving.

Note: Recipe can be doubled or tripled, if desired.

Nutrition Information per Serving:

391 calories, 7 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 8 mg cholesterol, 10 g dietary fiber, 22 g protein, and 189 mg sodium. One serving of this low cost recipe provides an excellent source of protein, fiber, calcium, vitamins D, C B-12, and thiamin.

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Sweetpotato Oatmeal Cookies Sure to Please

I received free samples of California sweetpotatoes mentioned in this post. By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by the California Sweetpotato Council and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.

Sweetpotato Oatmeal Cookies

Although I now live in the Northeast, I grew up in California. I never knew California grew sweetpotatoes. So, I was excited when I learned of the sweetpotato recipe contest by the California Sweetpotato Council.

I learned that California sweetpotatoes prefer to use one word (not sweet potatoes) to differentiate themselves from other sweet potatoes. As part of this contest, I was sent a box of sweetpotatoes that I have to tell you were the most beautiful sweetpotatoes I have ever seen. They were clean, had no scars or scratches and came in three beautiful colors, orange, tan, and red (see below). Here is a brief description of the three varieties:

     • Orange (Covington): rose colored skin and super sweet orange flesh; a favorite for mashing or roasting.
     • Tan (O’Henry): has a pale copper skin and white flesh; ideal for soups and stews.
     • Red (Diane): has red skin and deep orange flesh; perfect for sweetpotato fries or to add color to dishes.

California Sweetpotatoes are Colorful and Beautiful

I learned that California sweetpotatoes are grown in soft sand and are hand sorted to minimize scarring and scratching, resulting in a better looking sweetpotato (a huge difference from the typical sweet potatoes I see in my local supermarket). One medium California sweetpotato provides 105 calories, 4 grams of fiber, 2 grams of protein, a good source of vitamin C, and more than a day’s worth of vitamin A.

Many people mistakenly think sweetpotatoes are yams. Sweetpotatoes are sweet and moist. In contrast, yams are dry and starchy and, surprisingly, are not readily available in this country. Adding to the confusion over whether it is a sweetpotato or yam, there are varieties of yams called sweet potatoes. Also just to be clear, sweetpotatoes are not members of the white potato family.

For this contest, I experimented with several recipes. I made some hash brown sweetpotato patties using shredded sweetpotatoes, onion and egg. I thought about making sweetpotato mini donuts. Or a breakfast burrito with shredded sweetpotatoes, egg, and cheese. Or, cut them into them slices, season them, and bake them for chips. Sweetpotatoes are so versatile. They can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, or dessert.

But I finally decided to make an oatmeal cookie, to see if I could substitute mashed cooked sweetpotato for applesauce in recipes. It works. Many recipes seem to suggest using applesauce to cut down or eliminate some of the butter or fat in recipes. Well, now it appears that pureed sweetpotatoes work in much the same way as applesauce. These oatmeal cookies are loaded with good nutrition. One cookie provides 141 calories, 2 grams each of fiber and protein, and an excellent source of vitamin A. Here is the complete recipe. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sweetpotato Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1-1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup mashed cooked California Sweetpotato
4 Tbsp unsalted stick butter-margarine blend, melted
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

 In medium mixing bowl, wish together oats, flour, baking soda and powder, cinnamon, and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, combine sweetpotato, butter, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla. Mix to combine. Stir dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir just until blended. Gently stir in raisins, nuts, and chocolate chips.

Drop dough by heaping tablespoons, 2 inches apart, onto prepared baking sheets. Flatten cookies with hand or back of large spoon. Bake cookies until golden brown and just set, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire rack and let cool completely.

Makes 20 cookies.

Nutrition Information per Cookie: 141 calories, 5 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 12 mg cholesterol, 2 g dietary fiber, 2 g protein, and 78 mg sodium. One cookie provides an excellent source of vitamin A.

Cost per Cookie: $0.19 Pricing Note: all ingredients were at “regular” prices.

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Be sure to check out these other sweetpotato-inspired recipes from fellow Recipe Reduxers.