My Favorite Ways to Prepare Oat Bran

My oat bran I packed for work this morning: made with oat bran, cashew milk, mixed
cooked fruit (strawberries, cranberries, apple, and banana), a spoonful of
Breakstone's 2% cottage cheese, and dash of pumpkin pie spice. 

If you are a client of mine, or have talked to a client of mine, you know that oat bran is my #1 recommended food. My previous blog on this magical food explains all the health benefits; primarily for its abilities to help lower cholesterol, aid in weight loss, keep blood sugar even, and providing satiety for several hours after eating. 

Oat bran is prepared the same way you would instant oat meal, so it’s a super quick and healthy breakfast. However, some of my clients are initially turned off the first time they make it if it is just prepared with water. That being said, I have listed below some of my favorite ways to prepare it so hopefully you will learn to love it like I do. While some combinations may sound bizarre, you just have to trust me and try it out yourself! 

You can find oat bran in the bulk bins at Whole Foods or Wegman’s (I really like Wegman’s Fine Oat Bran in bulk), or can purchase Bob’s Red Mill, Hodgson Mill, Quaker, and other brands in a normal grocery store (typically in the “natural food” aisle), and Trader Joe’s has their own version. I personally also top my oat bran with a high fiber cereal like Trader Joe’s High Fiber or All Bran twigs- adds a nice crunch and extra dose of fiber to fill you up!

I have listed the calorie breakdown of the traditional oat bran recipe, so you can have a better idea of how the tweaks in each recipe will change the nutrient composition.

OAT BRAN RECIPES

Traditional Oat Bran Preparation

1/3 c dry oat bran [~130 calories]

1 c skim milk [~80 calories]

½ c berries [~35 calories]

½ tsp Cinnamon [~10 calories]

1-2 tsp pure maple syrup or honey (optional) [~20 calories per teaspoon]

Traditional Prep Nutrition Info w/o sweetener: 255 calories, 3.5 g fat, 47 g carb [18 g sugar, 10 g fiber], 15 g protein (using unsweetened almond or cashew milk instead of skim cuts calories to 225, carbs to 43 g [sugar to 11 g] and protein down to 9 g)

Peaches ‘n Cream Oat Bran

1/3 c dry oat bran

¾ c unsweetened cashew milk

½ c sliced peaches

½ tsp cinnamon

Dash of salt

2-3 tbsp plain yogurt or kefir (add after cooking)

My Favorite Pumpkin Oat Bran:

1/3 c dry oat bran

½ c canned 100% pure pumpkin

1 c light vanilla soymilk

2 dashes pumpkin pie spice

1-2 tsp pure maple syrup (optional)

My Favorite [Cottage Cheese] Pumpkin Oat Bran

1/3 c dry oat bran

¼ c canned 100% pure pumpkin

¼ medium banana

¼- 1/3 c low-fat cottage cheese

¾ c light vanilla soymilk

2 dashes pumpkin pie spice

1-2 tsp pure maple syrup (optional)

Apple Pie Oat Bran

1/3 c dry oat bran

1 c milk (almond, skim, soy)

½ c chopped apple- cooked on stove or microwave until soft

Dash of salt

Dash of pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon

1 tbsp no sugar added apple butter

High Protein Oat bran

1/3 c dry oat bran

1 c milk (almond, skim, soy)

½ - 1 scoop flavored protein powder (I like Garden of Life RAW)

½ c cooked mixed fruit

Even Higher Fiber Oat bran

1/3 c dry oat bran

1 c milk (almond, skim, soy)

2 tbsp wheat bran

1 tsp inulin or other powdered fiber

2 tsp ground flax seeds

½ tsp cinnamon

½ c cooked mixed berries

·         Top with High Fiber cereal

PB banana honey Oat Bran

1/3 c dry oat bran

1 c milk (almond, skim, soy)

2 tbsp PB2 or powdered peanut butter

½ medium banana

1-2 tsp honey (optional)

Nutty calorie packed oat bran

1/3 c dry oat bran

1 ¼ c milk (almond, skim, soy)

½ medium banana

½ tsp Cinnamon

1 tbsp hemp/flax/chia seeds

1 tbsp pumpkin seeds

1 tbsp pure maple syrup

Feel free to leave comments with your favorite way to prepare this breakfast staple!

Source for nutritional analysis: Diet Master Pro