Name: Homemade Oat Cereal
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 32 min
Yield: 15 bowls
Ingredients: 8 cups oats; 3 tbsp hemp seeds; 3 tbsp chia seeds; 2 tbsp ground flax seed; 1/2 tsp pink Himalayan salt; sprinkle of cinnamon; 1 cup peanut butter; 1/3 cup maple syrup; 1 tbsp coconut oil; 1 tsp vanilla

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Getting proper nutrition during pregnancy can be hard. Especially when women are exhausted and want quick meals with little effort exerted.

Putting together a homemade cereal that include the healthy benefits of oats and the incredible benefits of hemp seeds is an amazing way to start the day.

As an added perk, both of these foods may lower the risk of weight gain and improve digestive health.

Benefits of Oats

I used to hate watching my husband walk out of the pantry with a box of cereal. The ingredient list was appalling, but he would shrug off my concerns and pour a heaping bowl.

Most likely due to my nagging, he challenged me to make him a better breakfast. Not an easy task with a picky eater.

I wanted a cereal that wouldn’t take long or include a horde of ingredients. (I’m really not a huge fan of cooking, to be honest.) While I was at it, I wanted to make sure I packed in healthy foods he otherwise would never eat.

Complex Carbohydrates

Oats are a fantastic choice for breakfast. They contain complex carbohydrates which help you stay energized and make you feel full for longer. The carbohydrates in oats satiate your glucose and glycogen stores, which stimulate muscle recovery.

The extra burst of insulin also helps the body utilize amino acids better. As a result, they lower the risk of weight gain, and even help prevent gestational diabetes.

Fiber

The fiber in oats alone have incredible benefits.

The high fiber content of oats decreases constipation, which in turn reduces the risk of hemorrhoids. And it assists with gut health by functioning as a prebiotic to feed the bacteria already existing in the gut.

This will also improve immune health, and has been scientifically proven to benefit inflammatory bowel disorders. (1)

It’s a little known fact that gut health is intricately tied in to the wellbeing of every other part of your body. This is due to nerve cells that act as a brain. When you have an unhealthy digestive system, you are likely to suffer from other issues, and undergo emotional disturbances as well.

If you want to read more in-depth about the brain-gut connection, I highly recommend The Second Brain. It’s a bit strange but very informative.

Biotin

Half a cup of oats provides 25 percent of the daily recommendation for Biotin. This B vitamin not only helps boost your digestion and metabolism, but it also improves the health of your skin, hair, and nails.

Why not save money on beauty products (often contaminated with chemicals) and buy this versatile grain instead.

Other Benefits

Oats are an excellent way to incorporate more protein and iron into your diet. They are also high in minerals such as:

Manganese
Phosphorus
Copper
Zinc
Magnesium
Selenium

Consider

Oats may not be for everyone, and must be consumed in moderation. Those with extremely sensitive digestions might be better off with oatmeal. Cooking them may make it easier to digest.

Though oats don’t naturally contain gluten, there are those who may still be sensitive to them. My first child has a gluten sensitivity, and reacts to regular oats. I use One Degree Sprouted Gluten Free Oats. They are amazing. (Full disclosure: I buy a 5 pound bag at Costco for $7.50)

Benefits of Oats with Milk

A great way to start the day is by adding the benefits of oats with milk.

The best source, is organic. You don’t even want to know what’s in regular cow’s milk.

Dairy Milk

According to the USDA National Nutrition Database, milk is an excellent source of:

Vitamin A
Vitamin B12
Vitamin D
Calcium
Carbohydrates
Phosphorous
Selenium
Magnesium
Protein
Zinc
Riboflavin

Milk is one of the best ways to supply our bodies with calcium. Calcium is essential for bone growth and proper development of bone structure.

It also helps protect the body from major chronic ailments such as pre-menstrual syndrome, migraine headaches, and obesity in children.

A few other benefits of milk are:

It’s filled with vitamins and minerals that are essential to skin health.
Milk has been proven to relax the body, resulting in reduced stress and decreased PMS symptoms
The protein in milk assists with muscle growth.

Almond Milk

Unfortunately, many women don’t realize they’re dairy intolerant. I was definitely one of those people.

I had always known that milk bothered me but I didn’t admit that it was a complete dairy intolerance until after my first pregnancy.

It was then that there was no denying my body wasn’t properly digesting the dairy. Every time I ate any dairy product, my son would suffer from severe colic. As he grew older, his symptoms developed into constipation or vomiting.

It was easy to switch to nut milks. They taste much better anyway. In my opinion.

Almond milk is a great alternative for dairy milk. Though it’s said to not be as nutritious.

It’s high in vitamin A, D, and calcium. It also contains 50 percent of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin E. An antioxidant essential for skin health and elasticity.

However, there are often questionable ingredients in nut milks. I would recommend checking out the Food Babe for more details.

The best options are to make your own homemade nut milk, or buy it from a can that doesn’t have a BPA lining.

Benefits of Hemp Seeds

I didn’t used to be the type of person that wondered about the health benefits of hemp seeds. I actually stumbled across them by accident. My sister told me to throw Organic Hemp Hearts on salads and in yogurt for flavor.

However, when I suffered from severe anxiety, I discovered the true power these little seeds contained.

Hemp hearts come from the seeds of the hemp plant. Yet they don’t contain CBD and less than .2 percent of THC.

An Amazing Superfood

Hemp seeds are considered a “perfect protein.” Not only does it contain all 20 amino acids, 9 of which aren’t able to be naturally produced in the body.

This fantastic superfood has a perfect 3:1 balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids and amazing antioxidant effects.

Gamma-linolenic Acid

Being rich in Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), an essential omega 6 fatty acid, hemp seeds are a great way to help with inflammation and boost the immune system.

Some would be surprised to know that inflammation is a major cause for many of the diseases out there, such as arthritis, joint pain, bowel disease, and much more.

Hemp seeds have a powerful anti-inflammatory effect. They are even used in studies for neuroinflammation, with positive results. (2)

GLA has also been proven to naturally balance hormones, and have been known to help people with:

Diabetes
High blood pressure
Obesity
Breast pain
Skin allergies
ADHD
Heart disease

Fiber

High in insoluble and soluble fiber, hemp seeds improve digestion and create a vigorous immune system by feeding the probiotics in the gut. This contributes to relieving constipation as well.

Last on this list of benefits (because I could go on forever), is hemp seeds may help aid with weight loss. They reduce sugar cravings and their fiber content help you to feel full longer. Both necessary to prevent the consumption of excessive calories.