The British call it porridge, the Americans oatmeal, literally oatmeal, for us they are oat flakes, or oat bran, and they are without a doubt the best breakfast for sportsmen. Oat flakes for breakfast are an extremely nutritious dish, because they are rich in fibre, protein and essential fatty acids, because they are energetic, because they give a long-term feeling of satiety, and then again because they are gluten-free, with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. And above all they are tasty.
Oatmeal is the best breakfast for athletes
Saying oatmeal could bring to mind something ancient, rural, especially today when green juices and chia seed puddings are all the rage. But this centuries-old dish is instead the real superfood and perhaps the most powerful, for athletes who compete at the highest levels but also for those who take care of themselves.
Sure, if you go for Sunday brunch chances are the oatmeal will be served with a ton of ingredients on top, bottom, inside, and sides. But even a bowl of plain oats is a nutritional hit. Oats are a grain full of key vitamins and minerals, a low glycemic carbohydrate that provides lasting energy for training and aids recovery without causing a sugar drop, and high in fiber to help the digestive system and metabolic.
Oatmeal, oat bran or oat flakes?
Then we must distinguish between oatmeal, which is the whole grain just harvested and without the husk, which is not digestible for humans, and oat bran, to produce which the oat groats are ground directly without removing nothing from the grain. Finally there are rolled oats, which are the result of processing oat grains from which the bran is also separated, leaving only the purified white seeds. Oatmeal is a whole grain, while in bran we find more protein, fewer carbohydrates and more fiber.
Oats for breakfast
Either way, a bowl of oats is mostly a big blank canvas, ready to be combined with a host of other high-quality, nutritious ingredients to make it an even better workout food.
A very practical solution are oatmeal with fresh fruit (from berries to banana or kiwi) with nuts and even dehydrated fruit to add yogurt or milk. However, preparing a porridge or oatmeal is all in all very simple: just boil a ratio of 1/2 cup of rolled oats and a cup of liquid (water or milk of your choice) and add whatever you need that day : for example by following these 6 simple recipes.
1. Oats and eggs
4 cups of water or milk
2 cups of oats
4 eggs (to be cooked in advance in water with a little vinegar and salt).
2 tablespoons of coconut oil
Cook and top with generous portions of sliced bananas, raisins, yogurt, berries, dried fruit, nuts, and/or peanut butter.
2. Oatmeal and carrots
1 cup of water
1/2 cup of oats
A grated carrot
1 tablespoon maple syrup
Cook and top with 1/4 cup chopped walnuts and dates and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
3. Oats on the donkey
1 cup of water
1/2 cup of oats
Organic butter
1 tablespoon of coconut oil
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
Cook and top with a sliced banana, 1/4 cup raisins and a tablespoon of chia seeds.
4. Salt and pepper oats
1 cup of water
1/2 cup of oats
1/2 cup of coconut milk
Salt, pepper, turmeric and minced garlic, to taste.
Fried egg (prepared in advance).
Cook the oats with salt, pepper, turmeric and garlic and complete with seasonal vegetables and a fried egg.
5. Oats with berries
1 cup of water
1/2 cup of oats
Cook and top with 1/4 cup frozen berries and a tablespoon each cocoa and hemp seed.
6. Pumpkin Oats
1 cup of milk
1/2 cup of oats
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
Cook and top with cinnamon, a tablespoon of maple syrup and 1/4 cup pecans.
READ ALSO: High protein and low fat foods for sports
Photo by Brooke Lark / Melissa Belanger / Food Photographer | Jennifer Pallian
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