The benefits of feeding your kids rolled oats at breakfast

Kathleen Alleaume

Is there anything better than a steaming hot bowl of porridge on a cold winter morning?

On top of being delicious and endlessly versatile when it comes to flavour combinations, a porridge made from rolled oats is nutritious, easy-to-prepare and a budget-friendly pantry staple.

To help you kick-start the family’s day the healthy way, nutritionist, UNCLE TOBYS Ambassador and mum-of-three, Kathleen Alleaume, shares why rolled oats help make a well-rounded breakfast and provides inspiration with some fresh recipe ideas for incorporating oats into your family’s morning ritual.

A natural source of energy.

A nourishing breakfast will contain a balanced combination of wholegrain carbohydrates like rolled oats, along with a serve of protein (e.g. milk, yoghurt, nuts or eggs). Carbs are the body’s preferred source of fuel and are key to ensuring the little ones stay energised.

Full of whole grains.

Compared to refined grains, whole grains like rolled oats have more nutrients like minerals, vitamins, dietary fibre and antioxidants. So, by including more whole grains in your diet, you’ll be getting more of these vital nutrients and making sure you’ve got the wholesome energy you need for the day ahead. Just 1/3 cup of UNCLE TOBYS Traditional Rolled Oats dishes up 30g of wholegrains. Children aged 3-8 years should aim for 32-40 grams of wholegrains.

A source of fibre.

Fibre is one of rolled oats main health attributes and is a key player in keeping the digestive system healthy. One bowl of porridge (40g) dishes up a quarter of a child’s (aged 3-8 years) daily fibre needs*. To boost your fibre intake even further, combine your oats with fruit, nut butters or seeds.

*1 serve rolled oat (40g) = 3.7g fibre.

Heart health.

Rolled oats are high in beta-glucan, a type of soluble fibre which helps lower your cholesterol re-absorption (as part of a diet low in saturated fat, 3g of beta glucan per day is required to lower cholesterol). This means less cholesterol is reabsorbed back into the body, which helps reduce risk of heart disease.

A source of protein.

Rolled oats are a source of plant-based protein to assist muscle growth and development. Just one serve (40g serve) of rolled oats with half a cup of skim milk has 10 grams of protein, which is considered a good source.

Getting creative with oats

Sweet or savoury, here’s a couple of ways Kathleen loves incorporating delicious, nutritious oats into her family’s daily brekkie routine.

Wholegrain Porridge with Blood Orange Chia Jam

Serves: 4

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 8 minutes

Ingredients

Blood Orange Chia Jam

8 blood orange, peeled, deseeded, quartered
2 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp maple syrup

Rolled Oat Porridge

1 ½ cups UNCLE TOBYS Traditional Rolled Oats
2 cups skim milk
½ cup water
1 tsp cinnamon
4 tbsp natural Greek yoghurt, to serve
2 tbsp almonds roughly chopped, to serve
2 tbsp blood orange zest, to serve
4 tsp maple syrup or honey, to serve

Method:

To make your chia jam, place the blood orange pieces in a medium-sized pot on medium heat and stir occasionally. Use a fork to roughly mash them. Once the oranges break down, add the chia seeds and maple syrup, and stir until well combined. Remove from the heat. Place chia jam into a container and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to allow the chia to set.
Meanwhile, place the oats in medium-sized pot with milk, water and cinnamon and cook over medium heat. Bring the oat mixture to boil, then allow to simmer on low-medium heat for 5-8 minutes until oats are soft and creamy, stirring continuously. Add more water or milk to achieve your desired consistency.
Once oats are cooked, divide evenly into bowls, top with one tablespoon of chia jam, a dollop of natural Greek yoghurt and sprinkle with crushed almonds, blood orange zest and a drizzle of maple syrup or honey.

Remaining chia jam can be stored in fridge for up to 5 days.

Nutritional information (per serve): Energy 1659kJ (395 cals); 14.7g protein; 51g carbs; (33g total sugar); 11.7g fat; (1.4g saturated fat); 11g fibre

Passionfruit and Chia Whole grain Muffins

Makes 12 muffins

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

2 cups of UNCLE TOBYS Traditional Rolled Oats
2 free range eggs
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
¾ cup maple syrup
2 passionfruit, pulp removed, extra for garnish
2 tb chia seeds
1 cup Greek yoghurt
2 tsp baking powder

Method:

Preheat oven to 160°C
Grease a muffin tray with spray oil or line with wrappers.
To make the oat flour, blitz the rolled oats in a high-speed blender until oats form a flour. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, oil and maple syrup until mixture becomes thick.
Add the passionfruit pulp, chia seeds, yoghurt and mix until well combined
Fold through the oat flour mixture and baking powder.
Spoon mixture into muffin tins.
Bake for 30 minutes or until muffins are cooked through.
Remove from the oven and allow cooling for 10 minutes, and then turning onto cooling rack to cool slightly. Muffins can be stored in air-tight container for up to 5 days.

Nutritional information (per serve): Energy 859kJ (204 cals); 4g protein; 25g carbs; (15g total sugar); 9.4g fat (1.9g saturated fat); 2.1g fibre