I know, I know, “dessert for breakfast” is not something you’d expect to hear from a nutritionist. But I’m telling you, this baked oatmeal dish is so good that you could serve it for dessert topped with a dollop of homemade coconut whipped cream. What’s even better is that it’s guilt-free!

Eating a healthy, balanced breakfast is really important for all of us, especially for children as the head off to school for a full day of learning. On average, the human brain uses 20 percent of our energy (food) intake – that’s a lot of fuel!  Your brain’s primary source of energy is from glucose (blood sugar). That’s why low blood sugar results in brain fog, lack of focus, poor memory, etc. When your blood sugar drops too low your brain is deprived of energy. Make sure to include healthy fat and clean protein at breakfast for blood sugar balance. It’s essential to avoid the extreme blood sugar highs and lows that can result from a carbohydrate-rich meal (especially refined carbs like packaged cereal – yuck!)

Enough nutrition mumbo jumbo, let’s get back to the subject at hand: dessert for breakfast. I chose Asian pears for this recipe because they add a nice crunch to the oatmeal. Ripe Asian pears are hard and don’t soften like other varieties. They are high in fiber and have a healthy dose of potassium and vitamin C. My family loved this “breakfast dessert”. I hope you enjoy it just as much as we did!

Breakfast Asian Pear Oatmeal

Ingredients:

2-1/2 c. organic gluten-free thick cut rolled oats (NOT quick-cooking)

1-3/4 c. water + 2 tablespoon of lemon juice

½ c. unrefined virgin coconut oil

4 large eggs (preferably from pastured hens!)

½ tsp. sea salt

2 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. vanilla

3 large Asian pears, chopped

Chopped nuts (optional) can be added before or after baking

Method:

Soak oats and lemon juice covered on kitchen counter overnight, but 24 hours is better in order to break down more phytic acid. You do not need to drain the oats before baking. (I soak the oats overnight in the same 9×13 glass pan I bake them in to save on time and dirty dishes.)

When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350. Beat oil and eggs until glossy. Add salt, cinnamon, and vanilla; beat. Stir in oats and chopped pears. (Add a little more water at this point if the oats seem a little too dry). Pour into 9×13 baking dish and bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Serve with a side of chicken maple sausage!

Note: You can also mix all the ingredients together ahead of time (wet ingredients first, add dry ingredients, and then add the last 3 ingredients) and freeze until you’re ready to set on the counter for up to 24 hours and then bake. Leftovers make a great after-school snack! Adapted from kellythekitchenkop.com

Until next time, make every bite count!