When it comes to meal prep, or just the thought of making meals from scratch may seem like its not worth the effort.  We’ve all been there… Figuring out ingredients, shopping, and the time it takes to assemble the meal makes us think that fast food selection or pre-made meal is the more efficient choice.  The thought of the high upfront cost can make it seem a lot more costly.  This is far from the truth, and taking your meal on the road is much easier than it seems.

We decided to put together a sample breakfast which is very simple to buy, make, and has some amazing health benefits (both heart and overall health).  Best of all, you can take it with you to work, or your next trip, and make in less than a minute.

Ingredients (for approximately 10 servings):

• Organic Rolled oats (or steel cut) - $3.47/lb

• Organic Chia Seeds - $2.48/lb (1/2 lb needed)

• Hemp Seeds - $9.99/lb

• Walnuts/chopped - $7.61/lb

• Cacao - $12.98/lb (1/2 lb needed)

• Dried fruit or honey or cinnamon/brown sugar (optional) to add some sweetness :)

• Total cost: $3.28 per meal

Just add hot water and you have a very nutritious meal that will get your day started the right way.

Directions:

Mix 1/3 cup of oats with 2tbs chia seeds, 3 tbsp hemp seeds, 2 tbsp cacao, 1/4 cup of walnuts (whole/halved), and some fruit to add sweetness. If you must, add honey or brown sugar (our goal is to stay away from refined sugars) . We can go in detail on benefits of each individual ingredient but we will let you look into them on your own :) … Here is a brief overview:

Cacao nibs are great for cardiovascular health (contain flavonoids which research has shown to improve blood flow and lower blood pressure), they also contain a natural appetite suppressant MAO. Hemp seeds are 25% protein, and contain healthy fats and other nutrients. Chia seeds contain healthy fatty acids, fiber and antioxidants (and no sugar). Walnuts have higher antioxidant activity than any other nut, promote gut health, and are a great source of Omega 3's. Organic rolled oats are loaded with micronutrients, fiber, carbs and protein. They are considered one of the most nutrient dense foods that you can consume.  Oats contain polyphenols which may help increase NO production (we went over benefits of NO in another post).

So there you have it, a simple breakfast loaded with heart healthy foods, for ~$3 per meal.  Make sure to choose organic foods when possible and stay away from "quick oats" which have much higher glycemic index (due to processing), and added sugars.

If you have any questions feel free to reach out to us