Name: Almond and Blueberry Oatmeal
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1 tbsp oats; 2 tbsp water; 1 tsp ground almonds; ¼ cup kefir; ⅔ cup blueberries

Healthy fats to start the day

You must have already noticed that oatmeal is one of our favorite breakfasts and that we pair it with almost anything. As your child gets older, they will be getting used to more and more flavors and textures and looking for different and interesting meals to enjoy. This recipe combines simple and tasty ingredients for a balanced meal, packed with protein and healthy fats.

Nutritional stuff

As previously mentioned, oats are our favorite grain and oatmeal is our favorite breakfast. Partly because you can mix it with almost anything and partly because of its high nutritional content. Apart from its complex carbohydrates and fiber, it’s also really high in manganese, phosphorus, and copper, contributing greatly to the overall nutritional content of the meal.

Blueberries have been shown to be one of the top foods for antioxidants, which can greatly benefit the body in all kinds of different aspects. They are also high in vitamin K and manganese and contain good amounts of fiber to aid the digestive system.

Kefir is a great source of protein and although at 1 year of age you can start using cow’s milk, we still prefer kefir for its “good” probiotic bacteria which act as protective compounds for the gut.

Almonds are a great source of both energy and the “good” fats, as well as vitamin E (another antioxidant!) and copper. At this age, whole nuts still present a choking hazard so it is better to grind them up and mix them in.

Preparation

As with any oatmeal, the oats should be either cooked or soaked in liquid. In this recipe we chose to cook them but they can just as easily be soaked in kefir overnight. Oats can also be substituted with any other grain. Same goes with the almonds – you can use any other nut but just make sure they are also ground up. Any other forest fruit can be used instead of blueberries.

This is also a great meal to be prepared in advance (ideally the night before) so that the oats can really absorb the kefir. Add the almonds either the night before as well or prior to serving but if you do add them the night before they will additionally thicken the texture. Blueberries are best to be added right before serving. Prepare it all in advance and a balanced breakfast will take you 10 seconds to serve!