01 Oct {Recipe} Pumpkin Pie Baked Oatmeal

Intern Kylie here!

The season of all things pumpkin is upon us.

Everyone is drinking their pumpkin spice lattes while managing to find a way to put pumpkin in everything: scones, pancakes, fro-yo, muffins, cakes, yogurt, bread, enchiladas…the list goes on and on.  I think any food you can think of has probably been pumpkin-fied.

So here I am to contribute to the let’s-put-pumpkin-in-everything party.  Actually, instead of an imaginary party, I think we should throw a real life pumpkin-themed potluck.  I will invite all of you and we’ll just eat pumpkin things.  And because I would want to bring this here Pumpkin Pie Baked Oatmeal, we could make it a brunch potluck.  And since it’s a brunch we might just maybe have mimosas too.

In the food blog world, there are a lot (a lot, a lot) of people who obnoxiously obsess about oats…I am one of them.  I mean, if I had to choose a favorite whole grain, oats are definitely my number one.

Yes, I know buckwheat makes amazing pancakes and quinoa is super trendy.  But my heart belongs to oats.  Which is ironic since oats (and all whole grains) lower your risk for cardiovascular disease.  They also are a good source of fiber, iron and even protein.  How convenient that they are so delicious too.

The recommended whole grain consumption is 3 servings a day.  A serving of whole grains could be 1/2 cup of oatmeal, 1/2 cup of brown rice, or one slice of 100% whole grain bread.  Starting your day with this baked oatmeal (that tastes like a pumpkin pie) is a great way to add some whole grains to your day and to start racking up all those health benefits.  I didn’t even mention that whole grains are rich in B vitamins and that some studies have found that B vitamins can help prevent mood swings.  This is good.  Because my fiance would say that I can get a little moody at times…but he doesn’t know what he’s talking about.

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If you want to discover some new-to-you whole grains, head over to the Whole Grain Council’s website to learn about whole grains like teff and spelt.  If you are gluten free, no worries.  There are many gluten free whole grain options like amaranth, buckwheat, millet, rice, sorghum and certified-gluten free oats.

Source: Whole Grains Council