OH MY!!
Carrot, Mango, Coconut, Pecan “Carrot Cake” Oatmeal
Liz shared this creative concoction in the comments the other day and I knew it would be a winner! Like any carrot cake, the star was the “icing.” Greek yogurt mixed with maple syrup….mmmmmmmm! I got a little bit in every bite.
Combine in a saucepan:
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cup skim milk (or other milky substance)
- 1/2 cup water
- 50 grams of shredded carrot (about half of a SMALL carrot – maybe 1/4 a cup?)
- Half a mango, diced (could also use pineapple, as Liz suggested)
- Pinch of salt
Turn heat to medium and stir occasionally until mixture comes almost to a boil and most of the liquid is absorbed, which takes about 5-7 minutes. When oats are done, stir in
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp brown sugar (optional)
Toppings:
While oats are cooking:
- Make “icing” by blending 1 oz (about 2 tbsp) of non-fat plain greek yogurt with 1 tsp maple syrup.
- Toast about 1 tbsp chopped pecans in the microwave.
Assembly:
- Pour oats into bowl.
- Top with 1 tbsp shredded unsweetened coconut (you could use sweetened, but I’d use a little bit less if so)
- Sprinkle on pecans.
- Drizzle icing on top…..
DROOL!
Each bowl was about 450 kcal, 9 grams fiber and 18 grams of protein. You could cut it down a bit by using less pecans, omiting the tsp of brown sugar and halving the mango/pineapple amount.
It was SO GOOD. And very filling too! You could taste the carrot, but in a good carrot-cake way and not in a vegetable way. Use a little less if you’re worried about veggies for breakfast 🙂
Cross-sectional bite:
From above with coffee –
This breakfast was about 480 kcal, 9 grams fiber, and 22 grams protein.
I’ve got a LONG list of things to do today – studying, assignments, grocery shopping, chores, Davidson game, dinner – a workout in there somewhere?
Chelsea says
Yum, that looks and sounds good. WTG Liz!
Em says
wow! I adore carrot cake! I have to try that!
bikergurl says
Oh wow, I will definitely be trying this 😀
NC (need to change my name) says
haha love the cross-sectional view!
mandy says
Hey Kath,
You oatmeal looks delicious, as it always does! I also complement you on all your other efforts to always eat so varied and healthy! However, I can’t help but notice that sometimes your actions seem a little bit obsessive (I know you’re going to school to be an RD, so it sort of comes with the package, but) – the always calorie counting and always having to schedule in a workout everyday – i don’t know – all this food related stuff is on a slippery slope, so i hope you can keep from getting too obsessive about it!
Other than that – cudos to you and your man!
Caroline says
Kath, that oatmeal looks pheonomenal! I love making oatmeal dishes that mimic my favorite baked goods–like pumpkin bread! But I might have to try this one in the near future–I LOVE coconut!
Kath says
Mandy,
I’m sorry you feel that way. I don’t feel it’s obsessive in my life at all. I’m very happy with my habits and never find calorie counting or exercise to be burdens or to detract from other aspects of my life.
Kath
Karen says
Wow! Kath that looks great. I love how you are able to infuse favorite flavors into really good food. I am going to try this one.
erica says
Wow Kath, you’re really getting creative with all of your oatmeal concoctions! I’ll have to give this one a try one of these days, it looks fabulous!
hk says
ha! Soo funny, I wrote this recipe down when I saw Liz’s suggestion in the posts the other day!! You beat me to it making, but now I have an even better reason to make it! YUM 🙂
Maria says
Liz – you seem to have inspired many of us with your brilliant idea! I did something similar yesterday but didn’t have coconut on hand. Used raisins, ground flax, soy milk, some fresh pineapple finely diced, carrot, cinnamon and a quick grate of nutmeg. I swirled in a whipped mixture of cream cheese (about 1tsp), plain yogurt, walnuts and vanilla. It was delicious!
Kath – your version looks fantastic. I imagine the coconut really makes it sing. 🙂
Ana says
wow! I knew oatmeal was versatile, but who knew? wow! GREAT idea Liz!^_^
caitlin (in FL) says
yummy!! have a happy saturday everyone!
caitlin (in FL) says
ok obviously i’m dreaming… i meant sunday! 🙁
Julie says
I love reading through all the comments on here 🙂 I’m curious if there are any former smokers on here. I’m working on becoming a healthier person – I’m eating well, have lost 25 lbs, work out regularly, etc. But I’m having the hardest time quitting smoking. I just can’t seem to kick the habit. I’d love to hear from anyone who has quit. Any tips? Advice? Thanks
Courtney S says
I quit smoking in February 2007 and I can’t tell you how happy I am that I did! You know what the most important thing is? YOU have to be ready to quit. Most smokers know they should quit, but it’s not until something clicks and they WANT to that it finally happens. Believe me, I tried a million times and used various methods, but it wasn’t until I was sick and tired of smoking that it finally happened. I prepped for it by cutting down for about six months. But when it was time, I knew it. I had my last cigarette and that was it.
Good luck! It’s hard but it is the best thing in the world you can do for yourself. And when you’re ready, it’s more exciting than anything else.
Liz says
Haha LOVE that my fantasy Carrot Cake Oatmeal is edible! I haven’t even tried it yet!!! I’m looking forward to it now! I’m going to try it with pineapple and walnuts and since icing is by FAR the best part, make an icing like Maria’s. Dessert for breakfast is by far the best way to start the day!
goalie30 says
Julie/ re: quitting smoking
As a Physician Assistant, I definitely back your plans to try and quit smoking. Of all the bad things out there one can do to their body, smoking/nicotine is probably the worst. Congrats on the healthy diet and exercise along wit the weight loss; you are well on your tract to making your body a healthier and stronger one. Here would be the tips I would give to anyone looking to quit smoking/ chewing tobacco:
1) Get in the right mind set. If everyone around you is encouraging you to stop, but you aren’t read; then you will only give a half-hearted effort, and it will be much more likely for you to restart if you’re heart and head is not into it.
2) Set a quit date. Write it on your calendar, let you friends and family know, and on that day you will have the support of others to help start encouraging you.
3) The first 3 weeks are the hardest, look for other things to take your mind off of cravings. Some research that’s been done actually shows exercising (they had participants go for a brisk walk of 10-20 minutes) can help decrease cravings. So when a craving to smoke hits, try to fit in some exercise, or if you’re at work or some place where exercising is not feasible, chew some gum, suck on a hard candy, or grab a drink of water or some sparking water to help occupy the oral fixation craving.
4) Try to avoid “triggers”. A lot of people I’ve met have certain things that make them want to smoke: stress, going out to a bar, being around family members/friends who are smoking, etc. Try and limit these triggers. If you’re going to be around people who do smoke, let them know you are trying to quit, and ask that they take their smoke breaks outside or in another room where you won’t be able to see/smell them smoking if possible.
5) Use a smoking cessation device if you can’t stop cold turkey. Most people who stop cold turkey end up starting again, only because nicotine is SO addicting. If you’ve tried to quit cold turkey and find yourself sneaking cigarettes, you can either try the over the counter nicotine patches step-wise plan (talk to the pharmacist about this), there is over the counter nicotine gum, or there are some very good prescription medications you can ask your doctor to write for you. Chantix is the newest, and it’s supposed to be used for about 3 months. I have had quite good success with it; the medication blocks up the neurotransmitters in the brain to prevent nicotine from getting there, so you essentially lose your cravings to smoke. If that one is too expensive/ not covered by your insurance, you could try Zyban (Wellbutrin) instead as this usually comes in generic and works almost as well as the Chantix and works essentially the same way. If the thoughts of medications don’t bode well for you, you could even try cognitive-behavioral therapy (counseling), accupuncture, or even hypnosis as alternative medicine to help quit smoking.
Good luck! Once you quit you will notice how much better your body feels without the toxins in it and you were be able to erase a lot of damage from the cigarettes the longer you stay off them…
sirenjess says
I did it!!! I ran my first 10k in 49:39. I’m so proud of myself because it rained the whole time I was running. I have a quick que for any other runners what do you guys normally eat the day before and before a race? I had a luna bar and I think next time i’ll try something else because come 8:30 I was starving. I just didn’t want to fill up too much because then I would be burping food (sorry to be so graphic).
Elle says
Kath, that oatmeal looks FANTASTIC! But I was surprised to see no CINNAMON (from one cinnamon lover to another). I think cinnamon would go great with those flavors and I consider it a standout in real carrot cake!
eliza says
mmm that oatmeal looks mighty delicious! 😉
so creative
Jill says
Oh the cross sectional view turned my stomach a bit! I guess because it looks already chewed up due to the texture…?
Just have a sensitive stomach I guess…otherwise it looks great and yummy.
Julie says
Courtney S & Goalie – thank you both for your advice about quitting smoking! I really appreciate it.
Betsy says
whoa. that looks so amazing. i put fresh coconut in my oatmeal last weekend when I was home and it was perfect. I think this is a winning combination!!!
Susa says
Re. quitting-don’t do it until you’re ready. Let yourself think about quitting, let yourself feel the fears that will come up (“OMG how will I EVER have coffee without a cigarette?”, “What if I gain weight?” etc.)
I read Allen Carr’s book (THE best!!!)-did not quit right away, but a few weeks later I was just ready. And I quit and have not slipped up once. Sure, I could have tried to quit before, but I doubt I would have been successful- hence making the next attempts to quit more difficult. So I waited…but had done the mental prep work.
Ask yourself-what will life without a cigarette be? How will it be to take a deep breath at the open window and smell the fresh air? How will it be to never again be afraid to run out of cigarettes? No more dependency on a stupid THING?
Finally, the support from quitnet.com has helped :O)
Good luck! Don’t rush into it, read and think about it. And then you’ll succeed-and it will be a lot easier because you have already thought out what your “new life” will be like!
-Susa (btw. I smoked 1 pack a day and did use the gum for about a week to help me through)
Jill says
I just had such a volumous lunch I had to share it with you all
2 cups frozen veggies (cooked stovetop) includes celery, carrots, peppers, onions (100 calories)
3.5 egg whites (50 calories)
seasoning, pepper, etc
in w/w pita (150 calories)
All for 300 cals! Over 15 grams protein and 15 grams fibre!
Clara says
Hi kath!! that breakfast looks so creative and delicious 🙂
I have a quick question about making oatmeal –
I use Quaker Oats (the big red cylinder container), and on the back it says 40g is one serving and that is 150 calories. I don’t have a food scale; if I measure I just use the regular old measuring cup. So my question is, would 40g of the pre-cooked oats be equal to about 1/2 cup?
Thanks!! Have a great Sunday and I hope you get everything done on your list 😀
Tina O. says
I quit smoking on 8/28/06 at 2 pm. haha. I had laser accupuncture, which I’m not really sure worked. The 3 girls I went with all started again w/in 24 hrs. What did it for me was the ‘counseling’ before hand. I was ready to quit and she said, if you have just one cigarette, you’re back. Your body has the nicotine again and it WILL want more. That scared the hell out of me. Going through all that (and $175) just to start again- no way! The first 3 days were awful. It was like cold turkey, but after that, it wasn’t so bad. My husband still smokes. I also realized that if I ever wanted to have coffee and drinks at a bar again, I had to jump right in, not avoid them. So I had coffee and alcohol immediately. I chewed on bar straws like it was my job. This was when you could still smoke in the bars, so everyone around was smoking. I think that actually helped. I knew I wanted to quit more than I wanted that smoke!
The straws were key. I grabbed handfuls from the bar and kept them in my purse. Yes, its gross, but not any more gross than smoking. I’m happy to say that I have not had one cigarette since that day and I am now working on my husband. I loved smoking and had for 19 years!!
The bottom line is, you really have to want it and you will do it! Good luck!
Courtney S says
I second Susa’s recommendation about Allen Carr’s book about smoking. A friend recommended it to me when I was thinking about quitting and it really helped.
Kath, now I have a craving for carrot cake! Looks lovely as always.
Bridget says
sirejess- congrats!!! My go-to pre-race meal has always been PB&J on wheat. It’s easy on my stomach, fills me up and keeps me full for a long time. I started eating it for lunch on track meet days in high school (where we ran after school) and have since used it as my pre-race meal before other races.
Alia says
Hey Kath! I love your blog, read it daily. But I do have to say “Rock Chalk Jayhawk’ for my boys today! I think it will be a great game!
goalie30 says
Sirenjes,
Congrats on finishing your first 10K!! isn’t it a great feeling to cross the finish line and feel like you’ve really accomplished something?!
I used to race cross country, track, and road races at a fairly elite level. The best advice I can give for pre-race foods/drinks would be to try and get in some substantial low fiber, higher carb foods and plenty of fluids about 3-4 hours before the race. I used to wake up the day of the race sometimes at 5am just to get my pre-race meal in; sometimes I even went back to sleep for a bit! I had to start warming up around 45-60 minutes before the race, so I timed me meal about 3 hours back from my warm up/jogging start time.
Everyone’s stomach is different but for distance races that are half marathon and less you should aim for around 300-500 calories depending on your stomach. Some pre-race favorites that sat well for me were: half a big bagel with jelly and a little peanut butter along with a banana on the side; a packet or 2 of instant oatmeal with a banana and peanut butter on the side and sometimes a piece of bread or bagel if i was still hungry. If you tolerate dairy fine, I would stick with yogurts mixed with a plain low fiber cereal such as cheerios or rice chex as the milk can cause some intestinal issues, especially if you get nervous (I always did!). A homemade trail mix of a cup or 2 of dry low fiber cereal mixed with a handful of raisins, a few cashews or nuts along with a banana on the side works well too. I also like the power bars with a banana. If you can’t stomach much food, try one of the powerbar gnu goos with a banana or bottle of gatorade. Sip on water with your breakfast and frequently up to about 1.5 hours before the race. This will keep you hydrated but not so much that you’ll have to stop for a pottie break during the race!
Hope this helps 🙂 Good luck in future races!
Kelly T says
Hey, goalies back.
That looks so food. I would make it a little bit thicker though, so its actually like carrot cake. Im going to have to give that a try.
I have a ton of errands to do today too. bleh.
sirenjess says
Thanks goalie30. I’m definitely going to try something else for my prerace meal next time.
Robin says
Kath- I must be such a dork because I totally got your stats and cross-sectional view reference. The dorky part was that I thought it was really funny. Hmmm. I wonder what goes on in that head of mine sometimes.
Kath says
Julie ,
Congratulations on making the decision to quit smoking – I am 100% positive it’s one you won’t regret. The others gave great advice so I will just wish you the best of luck!
Liz ,
There you are! Thanks SO much for the idea!! Hope you like it as much as I did.
goalie30 ,
Welcome back – and as always, thanks for all of your advice.
sirenjess ,
Congrats on the race!!!! I wish I could run more of them – hopefully I can this summer. When I ran my best-ever 5K time I had the following 2 hours before: a slice of whole wheat with 1 tbsp peanut butter, a handful of green grapes, about 10 almonds and a few dried apricots. It was light enough to not weigh me down but had a low of slow-release energy that really gave me a kick in the butt!
Elle ,
HI! Cinnamon would have been delicious, but since the husband doesn’t like it when I cook for the two of us in one pot I usually leave it out. Guess I should have added it on my own, but that would have disturbed the presentation!
Clara ,
If I’m understanding your question, it’s is 1/2 a cup of oats (1 serving) equal to 40 grams (1 serving) and if that’s your question, the answer is yes!
Kath
Julie says
Tina and Susa – thank you so much for sharing your experiences with quitting. I’m going to check out that book.
Jessica says
Mandy – Don’t people actually recommend that you work out every day? Of course it’s okay to miss some, but I don’t think working out every day is obsessive (actually I didn’t even notice that Kath did!).
Romina says
Oh my gosh! You’ve done it again, you’ve recreated oatmeal!! DELICIOUS!
Ally says
This is now on my ‘to do’ list!
Looks fantastic! I have a lot of carrots to use up so this will be coming into my diet very, very soon!
I would have never imagined carrots in oatmeal!
Meredith says
This oatmeal looks incredible! I can’t wait to try it myself!
Meredi says
Kath, I just wanted to say — I managed to create something healthy for breakfast that my guy actually liked! At first when I asked him if he wanted some he was hesitant, but I twisted his arm and he wound up loving it. Thanks to Liz for the original idea and to you for publicizing it 🙂
Next time I think I’ll add some carrot cake-ish spices too — didn’t even think of it this time around. Mmmm!
Beatrice says
What a fun idea. I’m going to try this next weekend.
By the way, I found this (and your blog) through the “eat me, delicious” blog. A lot of people have picked this up!
Kath says
Beatrice ,
Welcome! I love the Eat Me, Delicious blog!!
Kath