Another human data point: me. I lost 20 pounds after experimenting with a single-ingredient diet, with oats being a key staple of my breakfast. I have overnight oats every morning along with 2 hard-boiled eggs. Here’s my recipe:
-1/2 cup old fashioned oats
-1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon Greek yogurt (plain, whole milk)
- 1/2 cup almond milk
I think I actually got the idea of oats after listening to a podcast you did with Peter Attia. Overnight oats is so simple and easy to meal prep for the week. I enjoyed this post, Michael!
Eating oats every day lowered my LDL by about 20%, and I already eat a mostly healthy diet. I’m partial to the Flahavan’s brand of Irish steel cut oats. I’m yet to find an American grown steel cut oats that taste as good. Add about 10g of chia seeds, 20g of walnuts and a fistful of blueberries and sprinkle with honey. Great breakfast that will keep you full until lunchtime or later.
What crazy timing for this post. I am a 55 year old healthy woman, and have been managing hormones and age related health issues with clean eating and functional exercise. I am gluten free and I love finding creative ways to keep my diet in the zone of one to three ingredient foods. Recently I have replaced my sometimes-treat of gluten free bread with cassava flour tortillas. But then a Costco magazine article sounded an alarm about cassava being toxic. I pivoted off cassava and I found out I could make crepes with just liquified red lentils and water and I love them!! Then my brother tells me uncooked red lentils are toxic - does cooking them as a crepe count? I don’t know. But now I’ve got the toxic lentil thing in my head, so I start making these really great (even better than the lentils) crepe-wraps out of pureed rolled oats and water. They are also amazing! And now you say that there are people out to get the OATS?!? Oats are being slandered?
It is an assault on simple food solutions. Micheal Pollen's ideas on ‘nutritionism’ come to mind. I love the flat circle analogy. As long as we know we are on a merry go round with all this data flinging, maybe we can jump off it and go grab a carrot. Thank you for being a warrior for rational thought, it is helpful and very much appreciated.
Great post. I eat oatmeal with berries, flax, chia, amla, and walnuts every morning. It's my anchor meal in my (winning) fight against coronary artery disease. Can absolutely confirm it's health benefits.
Everyone always thinks of breakfast oatmeal as a sweet meal. To your point about unhealthy packets of maple and brown sugar, cookies and cream, etc, these are terrible for you. A few years ago, I "discovered" the concept of savory oatmeal (new to me - I'm sure others have figured this out). Instead of a sugar bomb or fruit bomb, I'll make oatmeal with various veggies and an animal protein. A typical meal will include a cup each of diced onions, peppers and spinach, 200g of Costco chicken (or sausage, pork tenderloin diced or whatever), and one serving of oats cooked in chicken stock. 700 calories and allows me to get all my macros in roughly the right portions. We now call this "daddy oatmeal" at home because my kids thought it was crazy the first time they saw me make / eat this. But it is now a staple in my home. If you want to add some flavor - cheese (high cal) or hot sauce (low cal) are good options. Trust me - it is much better than it sounds, particularly if you make your own stock.
I’m celiac and definitely consider oats a super food for me. I pretty much eat them daily. Celiacs just need to purchase gluten free oats because even though they are naturally gluten free, due to common crop rotation practices and wheat contamination, they can cause reactions if not specifically labeled gluten free.
Don't listen to Michael - he's in the pocket of Big Oat! Oats will cause weight gain, kill your goldfish, pour sugar in your gas tank, and cause your partner to leave you and join a cult of oat eaters. 😄
This is a timely article as I have fallen out of the practice of making overnight oats every week - my wife can't eat the same thing as frequently as I can. Making some hot oats this morning - a perfect fall breakfast! 🍂
I had to laugh .... "drunk on Protein" .... and chronically constipated, the WORST scenario for pelvic floor integrity, and colo-rectal health. Your BF sounds like mine 6 days/week .... PLUS kefir, greek full-fat yogurt, crushed almonds and walnuts, banana, berries, and sprinkles of cinnamon, flax and chia seeds. It packs a nutrient-dense punch. You have alluded to this ... "People want granule solutions to 'Big Rock' voids. ONE food is a granule. Great work, and thanks for reading the 400+page OAT book, so we don't have to. 👍⛰️
I make oatmeal "bowls" with whole oats, chia, flax and hemp seeds, some protien powder, a dab of peanut butter and a splash of maple syrup...super good and holds me all morning at work! (Sometimes I add fruit or raisins 😊)
I’ve kept you on my radar for quite some time now, and you keep delivering , so I finally made the good decision to subscribe.
I’ve been eating oatmeal every day for the last five years, ever since my firstborn started eating solid food. Same as you.... with frozen organic blueberries, but than I add almond butter, and soaked chia and flax seeds (about 30% of the total mass). My idea was to slow carb absorption and add some healthy fats. Plus some high fat yogurt ! I use coconut !
I wanted to ask: I’ve heard several specialists talk about the negative effects of peanut butter on digestion. I remember a scientist on Ben Greenfield’s podcast even called it “nothing less than poison”! What’s your take on that, and on almond butter as well?
Also, my sons love it when I use an immersion blender to mix everything together with the berries. What’s the main effect on nutritional value and absorption when I do that? Do I lose any benefits or upsides by blending it?
Thanks for all the amazing content you put out, it’s inspiring, practical, and full of heart. Keep doing what you do, man!
Another human data point: me. I lost 20 pounds after experimenting with a single-ingredient diet, with oats being a key staple of my breakfast. I have overnight oats every morning along with 2 hard-boiled eggs. Here’s my recipe:
-1/2 cup old fashioned oats
-1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon Greek yogurt (plain, whole milk)
- 1/2 cup almond milk
I think I actually got the idea of oats after listening to a podcast you did with Peter Attia. Overnight oats is so simple and easy to meal prep for the week. I enjoyed this post, Michael!
Funny you should mention the racehorse thing, because there's a quote:
“Oats. A grain, which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland supports the people.”
― Samuel Johnson
which then prompted the follow-up (at least apocryphically)
"Aye, that's why England has such fine horses and Scotland has such fine men."
Awesome quote.
Being a Scottish male. I somewhat like this quote. ☺️
Eating oats every day lowered my LDL by about 20%, and I already eat a mostly healthy diet. I’m partial to the Flahavan’s brand of Irish steel cut oats. I’m yet to find an American grown steel cut oats that taste as good. Add about 10g of chia seeds, 20g of walnuts and a fistful of blueberries and sprinkle with honey. Great breakfast that will keep you full until lunchtime or later.
What crazy timing for this post. I am a 55 year old healthy woman, and have been managing hormones and age related health issues with clean eating and functional exercise. I am gluten free and I love finding creative ways to keep my diet in the zone of one to three ingredient foods. Recently I have replaced my sometimes-treat of gluten free bread with cassava flour tortillas. But then a Costco magazine article sounded an alarm about cassava being toxic. I pivoted off cassava and I found out I could make crepes with just liquified red lentils and water and I love them!! Then my brother tells me uncooked red lentils are toxic - does cooking them as a crepe count? I don’t know. But now I’ve got the toxic lentil thing in my head, so I start making these really great (even better than the lentils) crepe-wraps out of pureed rolled oats and water. They are also amazing! And now you say that there are people out to get the OATS?!? Oats are being slandered?
It is an assault on simple food solutions. Micheal Pollen's ideas on ‘nutritionism’ come to mind. I love the flat circle analogy. As long as we know we are on a merry go round with all this data flinging, maybe we can jump off it and go grab a carrot. Thank you for being a warrior for rational thought, it is helpful and very much appreciated.
Great post. I eat oatmeal with berries, flax, chia, amla, and walnuts every morning. It's my anchor meal in my (winning) fight against coronary artery disease. Can absolutely confirm it's health benefits.
Everyone always thinks of breakfast oatmeal as a sweet meal. To your point about unhealthy packets of maple and brown sugar, cookies and cream, etc, these are terrible for you. A few years ago, I "discovered" the concept of savory oatmeal (new to me - I'm sure others have figured this out). Instead of a sugar bomb or fruit bomb, I'll make oatmeal with various veggies and an animal protein. A typical meal will include a cup each of diced onions, peppers and spinach, 200g of Costco chicken (or sausage, pork tenderloin diced or whatever), and one serving of oats cooked in chicken stock. 700 calories and allows me to get all my macros in roughly the right portions. We now call this "daddy oatmeal" at home because my kids thought it was crazy the first time they saw me make / eat this. But it is now a staple in my home. If you want to add some flavor - cheese (high cal) or hot sauce (low cal) are good options. Trust me - it is much better than it sounds, particularly if you make your own stock.
Oatmeal, some fruit and a couple of soft boiled eggs (or 3) with coffee or tea gets breakfast done for me.
I’m celiac and definitely consider oats a super food for me. I pretty much eat them daily. Celiacs just need to purchase gluten free oats because even though they are naturally gluten free, due to common crop rotation practices and wheat contamination, they can cause reactions if not specifically labeled gluten free.
The doctor you are referring to advertises a lot on YouTube. Considers himself the expert on everything health related.
So much information out there. Thanks for summarizing a 435 page book on oats.
Don't listen to Michael - he's in the pocket of Big Oat! Oats will cause weight gain, kill your goldfish, pour sugar in your gas tank, and cause your partner to leave you and join a cult of oat eaters. 😄
This is a timely article as I have fallen out of the practice of making overnight oats every week - my wife can't eat the same thing as frequently as I can. Making some hot oats this morning - a perfect fall breakfast! 🍂
If I ever disappear and stop sending these emails, assume Big Oat cut me a giant check.
Thanks for the insightful discussion of oats, one of my favorites for breakfast.
I had to laugh .... "drunk on Protein" .... and chronically constipated, the WORST scenario for pelvic floor integrity, and colo-rectal health. Your BF sounds like mine 6 days/week .... PLUS kefir, greek full-fat yogurt, crushed almonds and walnuts, banana, berries, and sprinkles of cinnamon, flax and chia seeds. It packs a nutrient-dense punch. You have alluded to this ... "People want granule solutions to 'Big Rock' voids. ONE food is a granule. Great work, and thanks for reading the 400+page OAT book, so we don't have to. 👍⛰️
I make oatmeal "bowls" with whole oats, chia, flax and hemp seeds, some protien powder, a dab of peanut butter and a splash of maple syrup...super good and holds me all morning at work! (Sometimes I add fruit or raisins 😊)
Dude, that is freaking awesome!
I’ve kept you on my radar for quite some time now, and you keep delivering , so I finally made the good decision to subscribe.
I’ve been eating oatmeal every day for the last five years, ever since my firstborn started eating solid food. Same as you.... with frozen organic blueberries, but than I add almond butter, and soaked chia and flax seeds (about 30% of the total mass). My idea was to slow carb absorption and add some healthy fats. Plus some high fat yogurt ! I use coconut !
I wanted to ask: I’ve heard several specialists talk about the negative effects of peanut butter on digestion. I remember a scientist on Ben Greenfield’s podcast even called it “nothing less than poison”! What’s your take on that, and on almond butter as well?
Also, my sons love it when I use an immersion blender to mix everything together with the berries. What’s the main effect on nutritional value and absorption when I do that? Do I lose any benefits or upsides by blending it?
Thanks for all the amazing content you put out, it’s inspiring, practical, and full of heart. Keep doing what you do, man!
Big respect,
Hilmir
Good info. Thank you.
thank god you read the book so i don’t have to… it’s one hard thing i’d rather not do!