Hello there my friends! It is dumping rain here right now, so I figured I would at least brighten myself up with a colorful post! With seeing all the #fruitsandveggiesmonday posts coming in this week I was glad to have some of my own food at the ready so I didn't get too hungry checking out all of the entries. What I'm dishing up today is yet another variation of one of my meal prep staples--slow cooker steel cut oats.

If you think oatmeal is boring, you might not have realized that you can put all kinds of different flavors together to make it interesting. I don't think I have made the same version twice, and I make it fairly frequently. As far as vegan breakfasts go, it is really one of the easiest options for meal prepping. I love to cook, but I still would much rather do it all the beginning of the week so I can kick back and enjoy the fruits of my labor the rest of the week. There are a few mornings during the week where I am out of the house by 6am, so having something like this ready to go is immensely helpful in streamlining my early morning routine.

This week to kick these oats into high nutritional gear I opted to use shredded golden beets and butternut squash for my veggie additions. Veggies in oats? Sure thing. I don't know many people who don't like zucchini bread or carrot cake. It's a great way to up that produce intake for the day and add moisture to the oats. Using them shredded like this helps them blend right into the oats so that you don't feel like you're eating a salad. Beets and squash are naturally sweet, as well, and I tossed in some dates for a bit of extra natural sweetness to counter the veggies without having to resort to any processed sugars or syrups. Plus a few scoops of blueberry sauce on top definitely didn't hurt the final product.

In case you haven't seen, "golden" food is all the rage in the health world right now because of the nutritional benefits of consuming turmeric daily. Of course my beets were golden, but I also added turmeric and ginger to really pump up the anti-inflammatory compounds and solidify that vibrant color to the final bowl. I'm really happy with how this meal turned out, so I hope you all give it a try!

Golden Oatmeal

Makes 8 servings

• 2 cups steel cut oats
• 1 cup shredded raw golden beets
• 1 cup shredded raw butternut squash
• 1/2 cup chopped pitted dates
• 3 tablespoons chia seeds
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper*
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 6 cups water
• 1/2 cup coconut milk (optional--I had some left in the fridge to use up, haha!)

Place everything in a 3-4 quart slow cooker and stir together the ingredients. Cover then set to high and cook for about 2-2 1/2 hours or on low for approximately 4. The time really does vary depending upon the size of your slow cooker and how much volume is in it, so check periodically to make sure it doesn't need more liquid or that it isn't starting to over-cook. It really is easy to make, but I have found I prefer to be close by while it cooks since it can go from being perfect to being stuck to the sides in about 15 minutes.

Serve with the blueberry sauce and a sprinkle of hemp hearts!

*The black pepper helps with the absorption of the turmeric. I promise you can't taste it in the final product.

Blueberry Sauce

Makes just under 2 cups

• 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds

Place the blueberries, water and spices in a medium saucepan. Bring just to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. If you want a smooth sauce, let cool then blend the blueberry mixture before adding in the chia seeds. I don't mind a few chunks, so I opted to leave it as is. Mix in the chia seeds then let it sit for 10-15 minutes while it cools so the chia seeds have a chance to soften.

Use on your oatmeal or as a fruity topper for some nice cream!

Since I have been running more regularly, this checks off a lot of boxes to keep me well-fueled and consuming lots of nutrients to recover! Some people run so they can eat more, but I generally like to eat well to run well. 😉

Happy and healthy eating my friends!

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