Greetings! I’m so happy it’s Monday! Our weekend was spent moving from one side of town to another, so it has been chaotic to say the least. We are still unpacking and getting settled, but it helps that the townhouse we moved to is gorgeous! We are only renting, but I keep telling my husband how much I wished we owned this place.
I have an interesting tidbit about bananas for those of you on a candida-friendly diet or just watching carbs and calories.
Did you know that by eating green bananas, your body never digests the calories that are in them? Green bananas have what’s known as a resistant starch, meaning that instead of being rapidly digested, and thus causing a spike in blood sugar, they are digested slowly with an equally slow blood sugar increase. In this way, they act more like fiber.
Some of the benefits of resistant starch include:
- For people with sugar issues, resistant starch seems to improve insulin sensitivity.
- Resistant starch produces more satiety.
- Resistant starch consumption is associated with lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
- Promotes “good” bacteria, and suppresses “bad” bacteria and their toxic products.
- Promotes bowel regularity.
- Resistant starch in a meal is associated with less fat storage after that meal.
(source)
I’m working on a smoothie recipe using green bananas that I hope will have you shunning their yellow-spotted, sugar-laden counterparts.
Today’s recipe combines two of my favorite ingredients….chocolate and oatmeal.
Lately, I’ve been adding a teaspoon of either carob or cacao to my overnight oats, which makes the milk taste like chocolate milk! So, I started thinking about a hot version and created this…
This is just as easy as overnight oats, only you throw everything into a crock pot instead of a bowl….and did I mention it tastes like HOT CHOCOLATE?!
SLOW COOKER HOT CHOCOLATE OATMEAL
1 c. steel-cut oats
4 c. water
1/2 c. coconut milk
1 T. cocoa powder
1 t. vanilla
1/4 t. salt
1 T. coconut sugar
8 drops stevia
In a large bowl, combine the water, milk, vanilla, and stevia. Whisk in the cocoa, sugar, and salt. Finally, stir in the oats.
Oil the inside of your crock pot (this prevents the oatmeal from sticking). Pour in the above mixture. Set your crock pot to LOW for 1-2 hours before you go to bed, and turn it to KEEP WARM before retiring to bed. In the morning, you will be greeted with this…
….and for your effort, grate a little bit of dark chocolate over the top.
Do you like green bananas?
What is your favorite way to eat hot oatmeal?
I love to stir in some maple cinnamon almond butter and a couple of egg whites for extra protein! That keeps me full for hours, which is unusual for me.
Shared with: Whole Food Fridays, Wellness Weekend, Allergy Free Wednesday, Gluten-Free Wednesday
Celina
Hi, there! Just recently found your food blog, and I am quite enamored with it! Doing what I can do make my food healthier, fresher, and “cleaner,” so your tips have been very helpful. Tried this recipe last night. Because of what I had on hand, I used soymilk and a combo of regular white sugar with Stevia. Although I worried about leaving it on low all night (this particular slow-cooker doesn’t have a “Keep Warm” option, only Low and High), it came out wonderfully! Thanks for the recipes – you’ve definitely got a new follower! ♥
Lauren
Thank you Celina, I’m happy you enjoyed the oatmeal! 🙂
Heather @ The Soulful Spoon
This is brilliant! I’ve always wanted to know how to cook oats overnight in the slow cooker without a timer! THANK YOU! I love this technique, and it’s so smart! I could definitely do 1-2 hours and then turn to warm. That makes perfect sense- thank you Lauren!:)
Lauren
Thanks Heather! I haven’t made this recipe in a while, but it has definitely been a past favorite (especially for hectic mornings). 🙂
Eric Wood
Thanks for the recipe, Lauren! Don’t knock super-ripe bananas. According to Japanese Scientific Research, full ripe banana with dark patches on yellow skin produces a substance called TNF (Tumor Necrosis Factor) which has the ability to combat abnormal cells. The more darker patches it has the higher will be its immunity enhancement quality; Hence, the riper the banana the better the anti-cancer quality. Yellow skin banana with dark spots on it is 8x more effective in enhancing the property of white blood cells than green skin version!
Melissa B in IL
How would you make this on the stove top? Any suggestions to cooking time? thanks
Lauren
I think steel-cut oats take around 20-30 minutes to cook, but you may have to alter the amount of liquid used in this recipe.
Peggy
Chocolate and oatmeal! Yum!
Michelle @ Eat Move Balance
Very interesting about the bananas . . . too bad I don’t really like them when they’re too green. Also, I’ve heard that because digestion of the banana is different when it’s not ripe, that some people experience discomfort as a result. So I’m not sure where the balance is . . .
Lauren
They don’t have to be super green, you should just see some green on the peel. I’ve actually read the opposite about digestion…perhaps it depends on what you’re sensitive to?…
Gabby @ the veggie nook
This looks amazing, like I’m drooling!
Interesting about the bananas! I’ve heard before that green bananas are more acid-forming that the ripe ones. I wonder if the benefits you listed outweigh that? Either way, so cool about the resistant starch!
Lauren
Hahaha, thanks Gabby! I’m sure there are some negatives with anything, but I just wanted to mention this in relation to candida and carbs/calories in particular.
Foods For Beauty
Can’t wait to see your new place! You must be exhausted. Your oats look scrumptious.
<3
Nicole
Lauren
Thank you Nicole! 🙂
Natalie @ freshlifefindings
I’m so glad your move went well Lauren! Excited to see pics of your new place 🙂 this oatmeal looks delicious! I have never made chocolate oatmeal so this must happen ASAP!
Lauren
Thanks Nat! I hope your move went well also! And yes, you need chocolate oatmeal in your life!
jessielovestorun
Mmm, sounds amazing. Thanks for sharing this awesome recipe hunnie xo