A Run for Your Oats

Run, Forrest, Run!
Forrest Gump — MOVIECLIPS.com

My momma always said…Forest Gump knew about the secret powers of oats for runners.  Odds are he didn’t get that good at running by eating a box of chocolates.

            Let’s talk carbs. Oatmeal is an awesome source of fuel for athletes and a good source of whole grain carbs, which are necessary to sustain yourself if you are an endurance athlete trying to go the distance.

“Oatmeal on its own is a perfect food,” says Donna Acox, CDN, a professor of diet and nutrition at Syracuse University.  “Well, there is no such thing,” she concedes, “but it’s loaded with B vitamins and fiber…a great thing for athletes."

The American College of Sports Medicine and the American Dietetic Association recommend eating a high-carbohydrate meal two or three hours before exercise.  Despite what you may fear from all the hype on low-carb diets out there, there is a method to this madness. 

When you run, it’s essential for your body to use its energy to bring oxygen to your vital organs.  Carbs provide us with the most immediate form of usable energy.  If all of your energy is going to your digestive track rather than, say, your legs (i.e., what happens when you eat a high protein meal pre-race, which is like putting a selfish child down there demanding all your body’s attention), you cramp up. Carbs are the body’s friend when it’s pounding the pavement.

Also important: the kind of carbs you eat matter, too.  Eat a lot of pasta and processed junk food and your insulin levels will soar, signaling your body to store the fuel as fat. Not good. Oatmeal, though, provides healthy carbs. One cup of oatmeal contains 26 grams of carbs that are the “slow release” kind. 

 A study in the Journal of Nutrition said that eating slow release carbs three hours prior to exercise may help you burn more fat. This is because oats have a low-glycemic index, meaning they don’t spike your blood sugar and insulin levels the way white bread and other refined carbs do.

 Whatever form of exercise you fancy: biking, hiking, running, etc- make sure you properly fuel-up first. Your body will oatally thank you.

Check out these recipes for fuel you can make fast, and keep an eye out for a recipe for overnight oats- they make breakfast prep a breeze before a morning run!

What’s your favorite pre-workout meal?  How long do you have to wait to run after you chow down?

Oatmeal Cream Pies

If you haven't tried a Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pie in your childhood or adult life, you haven't lived. Two soft oatmeal cookies surround a sweet, gooey filling that begs to be eaten in two or less bites.  Not to be a Debby Downer, but...Lil Deb isn't fooling anyone by putting the word 'oatmeal' in the name.  These aren't exactly carrot sticks when it comes to nutrition, and she knows it.

One way to avoid all the processed additives that most packaged snacks contain is to get in the kitchen and bake them yourself! Check out this recipe for homemade oatmeal creme pies from Honey & Jam for an authentic, sinfully sweet treat. No, it shouldn't replace your morning bowl of oats, but it sure as heck beats hitting up the vending machine or other such places inhabited by the Debmonster.

Oatmeal Cream Pies (from Honey & Jam)
1 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups quick oats

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugars.
Add eggs one at a time, until well combined, then add vanilla.
Whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, cocoa powder, cinnamon and oats. Add to the creamed mixture. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes.

Drop about a tbsp of dough on cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees F for about 10-12 minutes, or until they are just starting to brown around the edges, they will look moist in the center, so don’t overcook.
Put them on a wire rack to cool.

Filling:
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 1/2 cups marshmallow cream
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1-2 tablespoons milk

Cream the shortening with the marshmallow cream, then add the powdered sugar and vanilla, beat on low for about a minute. If it’s too thick, add a little water. You want it to be spreadable but not runny.

Create Your Day and Voluminous Oats

If you're running low on oatmeal inspiration and need a few creation ideas to get you started, head to the Quaker Oats website and try out their "Create Your Oatmeal" app.

Using Quaker Oatmeal's "Create Your Oatmeal" website app, I created a custom "Eye Opener Oatmeal." The app comes up with a custom recipe based on your inputted info for that day

Eye Opener Oatmeal. Cinnamon Pecan, topped with coffee, cinnamon, and nutmeg. But where is the recipe?!

Here is what I filled out to get my Eye Opener Oatmeal (you get a choice where the words in blue are with drop down menus): "I like to start my day at 7:00am*- hopefully I'm refreshed and ready to go! The city is bustling** and it looks like I could really use a balanced***day. I'm up early and still going strong later on...and a little extra oomph would definitely help! With a little bit of luck enough determination + not too much contemplation, I can still find make time for a workout. What a day!"

My additions:
* ...if I'm lucky enough to sleep in that late. Tues & Thurs are even earlier for my 6:30am Power Hour classes!
**...Syracuse counts as a real city...right?
***...a balanced day in college = spending equal amounts of time doing work at the library, computer lab, random building you don't have classes in, quad, etc., so as not to fry ones brains. Location location location!

Since Quaker left me hanging in recipe department for this Eye Opener Oatmeal, and instant oatmeal isn't all that great for you, I decided to come up with an Eye Opener recipe on my own.  It's inspired by the recipe that won one woman a trip to the 12th Annual Quaker Oatmeal Festival in Lafayette, Colorado (this is by far my #1 dream trip) for her Oatmeal Espresso recipe using instant coffee! Cinnamon and oatmeal are old friends. Toss in the rich, nutty taste of pecans and coffee for a perfect pick me up for any cool autumn day.

Homemade Eye Opener Oatmeal
1/2 cup oats (I use old fashioned rolled oats)
2 cups liquid (I use combination of water and Almond Breeze unsweetened non-dairy milk)
Dash of salt

1 T banana, sliced thin
Dash of vanilla extract

1/2 packet single serve instant coffee
1/2 T cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1/4 cup pecans

Combine oats, liquid, salt, and banana in a large saucepan, and heat over medium heat. This will look extremely watery at this point but fret not! It will take around 10 minutes to boil. As it heats up, use a fork to mash up the banana and mix it in with the oats, whisking everything together occasionally.  Once it starts to boil you'll have to stir it more often, creating a "suspension" with the banana acting as an emulsifier. Keep it to a low, rolling boil for about 20 minutes at most, whisking it often, then remove from heat. Stir in vanilla extract, instant coffee, cinnamon, and nutmeg and cover the pot. Let it sit for about 5 minutes to absorb some of the liquid (the longer it sits, the thicker it gets).  Using a longer cooking time like this lets you get away with using more liquid, and really creates a thick, voluminous bowl of oats. When you're ready to serve, pour it into a bowl and top with pecans and perhaps a drizzle of maple syrup.

From The Oatmeal Project, Day 9: Maple Pumpkin Pecan

 *Note: The oatmeal pictured above is from The Oatmeal Project and contains pumpkin

If this seems like a heck of a lot of work for your breakfast routine, you can always make it the way Quaker intended (the easy, instant way). See the video here.

Pumpkin oats

 One of the many wonders of fall is the abundance of pumpkins.  I prefer to buy canned pumpkin to avoid a messy clean up, but if you are adventurous you can buy a whole pumpkin and roast the seeds for a snack.

Pumpkin is an awesome source of  vitamin A and dietary fiber, and is fairly low in calories.  To whip  up a bowl of oats reminiscent of your favorite pumpkin pie, simply combine the desired amount of pumpkin with your usual oatmeal ingredients, add some natural sweetener, a little pumpkin pie spice (or ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves), and boo!- er, voila! - you have yourself a kickin' bowl of oatmeal. If you're really daring you can add a dollop of whipped cream on top.

A few ingredients I picked up for fall oatmeal recipes

Can you guess which is coffee and which is oatmeal?

Sorry oats. Coffee one-upped you this morning.

Pumpkin oats

 Pumpkin Oatmeal

1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup water
1/4 cup non-dairy milk (I like Almond Breeze, unsweetened vanilla)
1 T banana
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
Dash pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, ground cloves, or a combo of any/all of these
Splash of vanilla extract




1. Combine oats, water, non-dairy milk, banana, and pumpkin in a saucepan and bring to a boil on medium heat.
2. Let simmer for 15 minutes to make a voluptuous bowl of oatmeal (longer than the recommended cooking time), whipping with a spoon often.
3. Remove from heat, stir in spices and vanilla, and cover with a lid and let rest for a few minutes to allow the oats to absorb the liquid.
4. Stir in any additional toppings- walnuts, pecans, flaked coconut, or toasted raw oats go well with this recipe- and enjoy!


Similar to pumpkin oatmeal is pumpkin porridge, a Korean dish made with pumpkin puree, pine nuts, rice balls, and azuki beans. Perhaps I will alter this dish by adding some oats in the mix? What do you think?

What are your favorite ways to use pumpkin? Do you prefer to use canned or the whole pumpkin?

Criminal Oats

On Sunday a day care in Iowa was broken in to.  The burglars must have been hungry, because police reports indicate they left behind a half eaten bowl of oatmeal among the usual ransacked remains of a break in.

Props to them for choosing a healthy snack, albeit the criminal circumstances of the situation.

Now, my question to readers is, if burglars manage to find time to break in to a building, steal two TVs, DVD players, a cordless phone, AND whip up a bowl of oats...what is your excuse for not having enough time to a  bowl of oatmeal goodness for breakfast?