Have you heard of the benefits of a grain-free diet and decided to try it? Perhaps you’ve had digestive difficulties or are looking to lower your blood sugar. Or, maybe you’ve gone paleo and decided to give a grain-free diet a try. Whatever the case, one issue that seems to be the hardest for people who have given up grains is breakfast.
Cereal, grits, waffles, pancakes, and what about oatmeal!? I gave up cereal and refined grains 10 years ago, but I always missed oatmeal so much. Most people take this humble grain for granted. Yet it was all I could think about when I chose to eat grain-free to help with digestive issues I’ve had since I was a child. Thankfully I found a solution that worked well enough, and one I love sharing with people.
If you’re looking for a creamy replacement to oatmeal, you have to give my grain-free and nut-free coconut porridge a try. It will win you over in no time, guaranteed!
I chose to eat a grain-free diet to take care of some gut inflammation and to steady out my blood sugar. It worked well, and although I now tolerate gluten-free oats on occasion, I choose to have this porridge I’m sharing with you more often than oatmeal. I love it so much, since it steadies my blood sugar much better. I love low-carb smoothies for breakfast, but I missed my bowl of oats, and this did the trick while also killing the cravings for a warm bowl of morning goodness.
One product I love to use in place of grains is coconut flour. I use it in everything because it thickens, satisfies, is full of fiber, and doesn’t irritate my system like almond flour and nuts tend to do. So, I decided to make a grain-free porridge with coconut flour!
Benefits of coconut flour
- 6 grams of protein per 2 tablespoons
- 1.5 grams of fat per 2 tablespoons
- 7 grams of fiber per 2 tablespoons
- 60 calories per 2 tablespoons
- No sugar
- High in amino acids and enzymes (when bought raw and organic)
- Nut, grain, and dairy-free
- Naturally sweet, cake-like taste
- Gluten-free
- Vegan
- Great for candida
- Enhances regularity
- Enhances fullness and satiety
- May boost metabolism
- Versatile
- Viscous
- Mixes well
- Can be eaten raw or cooked
I use a mix of coconut flour and some other beneficial ingredients to make my own porridge. I also add in a few other fiber-rich superfoods known for their anti-inflammatory benefits.
My other ingredients of choice are…
- Chia seeds (high in omega-3s, magnesium, iron, fiber and potassium; great for digestion and anti-inflammatory)
- Flax seeds (high in ALA omega-3 fats, monounsaturated fats, and fiber; help with digestion and anti-inflammatory)
- Unsweetened coconut shreds (healthy fats, fiber, and flavor with no sugar)
- Unsweetened coconut yogurt (or you can use plain Greek yogurt, for creaminess, probiotics and digestive benefits)
- Cinnamon (antifungal, digestive aid, and blood sugar benefits)
- Ginger (antifungal, digestive aid, and anti-inflammatory benefits)
- Cardamom (carminative, digestive aid, mood booster, sweet taste with no sugar)
- Cloves (healing, anti-inflammatory, warm and cozy flavor)
- Unsweetened almond milk (homemade, or choose organic, carrageenan-free and unsweetened)
- Fresh vanilla bean grounds (for flavor, magnesium, and potassium)
I hope you enjoy the following recipe. It creates one powerful meal that you can enjoy hot, chilled, or soaked overnight. It takes all of five minutes to make, and is so easy!
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Grain-Free and Nut-Free Coconut Porridge
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| Prep Time: |
| 5minutes |
| Cook Time: |
| nocooking |
| Total time: |
- 1/4cup raw coconut flour
- 2heaped tablespoons of shredded coconut
- 1cup of the milk of your choice
- Pinch each of cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and cloves
- 2tablespoons chia
- 1tablespoon milled flax, and more for topping
- 1/8teaspoon freshly ground vanilla bean
- Dried, crushed stevia leaves (to taste)
- Adollop of the natural yogurt of your choice
- Mix the coconut flour, shredded coconut, vanilla grounds, chia, stevia, and flax all together in a small bowl.
- Slowly add the milk, add a bit of water if it’s still too thick, and stir. Top with yogurt, stir and eat.
- If prefer to make it warm, mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside. Then heat the milk and water, and add that to the dry mixture. Add the yogurt last as a topping so you don’t kill the good bacteria in the yogurt.
- Top with more shredded coconut and flax if desired.
- To prepare ahead of time, simply mix all the ingredients together and let it sit overnight in the fridge. You can top the porridge with additional milk in the morning if necessary.
Notes:
If you do not have ground vanilla bean powder, you can either scrape the whole bean powder from the pods or use alcohol-free and sugar-free organic vanilla extract. Or, just omit. It will still be great either way!
You can also make the porridge up to 2 days ahead of time if you like, but you will need to add a little liquid before eating since it thickens the longer it sits.
I love this with organic, low-acid coffee with stevia, almond milk and a little cacao powder as a warm mocha. It’s a delightful way to start the day and is packed with so much nutrition, especially for your digestive system.
You could also use these ingredients for baking, or use them in a smoothie and other easy, fun and healthy recipes, so feel free to experiment. Have you ever had a grain-free porridge? What are some of your favorite ingredients?
—Heather McClees
Heather McClees is a professional health journalist and Certified Holistic Nutritionist from South Carolina.She received her B.S. Degree in Nutrition Science and Dietetics, and is most passionate about helping others discover the gift of of holistic health, showing others how to create healthy recipes based on their favorite foods, physical fitness and yoga, and creative writing.
Sources:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3518271
http://www.nsrinews.com/nsriChia_research.html
http://www.alzheimers.net/2013-05-29/coconut-oil-for-alzheimers
