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I love breakfast! I eat oatmeal, ground flax seed, apple and berries almost every day. In combination with homemade coconut yogurt, today’s breakfast was Strawberry Shortcake Flavored Oatmeal.

Recipe:

Cook rolled oats and apple: Combine 1 cup of oats, 1 apple diced and 2 cups of water. Microwave 4 minutes in a quart sized bowl. Caution oats tend to boil over in smaller bowls.

Serve 1 cup of cooked oatmeal and apple with 1 tablespoon ground flax seed, 1/2 cup fresh or thawed frozen strawberries (organic if available) and 1/4 cup of coconut yogurt.

Make coconut yogurt in advance: Combine yogurt culture, probiotic capsule contents or a mother culture with one can of full fat coconut milk. Low-fat coconut milk will probably ferment but the ingredient list is usually longer.

Place in a mason jar with a lid and leave on the counter for 24 hours to ferment. No need to heat or pasteurize canned coconut milk. The jar should be very clean but no need to sterilize. The temperature in my casa is over 70 degrees so if you’re in a colder climate, you’ll need a source of warmth to nurture the bacteria culture. Perhaps your oven light in a closed oven will provide enough heat.
Making dairy milk yogurt is more complicated and involves heating and cooling before you add the culture.

Refrigerate the yogurt after fermenting. The yogurt is tangy, delicious and a source of probiotics.

Notes: I used 2 tablespoons of yogurt culture saved and frozen from making dairy yogurt so my yogurt was not strictly vegan. My original dried yogurt cultures contain milk also. I have seen bloggers make coconut yogurt with vegan probiotic capsules if you do not use any animal products. I will save some of the mother culture of the coconut yogurt for future use.
I buy cheese and yogurt culture from CheeseMaking.com

Please be aware that these are not vegan yogurt cultures because they contain milk.

The oatmeal is a nutrient powerhouse with lots of soluble fiber to lower cholesterol and feed your gut bacteria, provides plant protein and antioxidants.
One half a cup of rolled dry oats provides 51 grams of carbs, 13 grams of protein, 5 grams of fat and 8 grams of fiber, and only 303 calories.
Whole oats are high in antioxidants and beneficial plant compounds called polyphenols. Most notable is a unique group of antioxidants called avenanthramides, which are almost solely found in oats. The fiber is beta glucan and is known to reduce cholesterol and may reduce diabetes.

Avenanthramides may help lower blood pressure levels by increasing the production of nitric oxide. This gas molecule helps dilate blood vessels and leads to better blood flow.

Berries are superfoods too. They are high in fiber and antioxidants. They lowering cholesterol and improve the function of your arteries by reducing inflammation in the endothelium.

The cells that line your blood vessels are called endothelial cells. They help control blood pressure, keep blood from clotting, and perform other important functions.

Excessive inflammation can damage these cells, inhibiting proper function. This is referred to as endothelial dysfunction, a major risk factor for heart disease.

Flax seed provides fiber, plant protein and omega 3 fatty acids.

Enjoy this breakfast as part of a whole food plant based diet.

For more Vegetarian and Vegan Meal Ideas wander over to my Pinterest Board.