oats – Page 5 – GUTSy Performance Nutrition

Hazelnut, Pear & Oat Muffins

November 3, 2014September 21, 2017by Rebecca3 Comments

We arrived just as the wind picked up and rain came on. Most market-goers had deserted and the farmers stood under their tents with their arms raised high, holding on to the beams.

I loaded up the last of Larry’s pears and as we chatted I piled them on to his scale. He had to let go of his tent to weigh and figure a price and Will quickly reached up and held it down for him.

The significance of our simple interaction struck me later. It was one small moment in an ordinary day. The exchange reminded me of how we rely on each other. Constantly. Unnoticeably. And it’s there in those quietly normal experiences, when we’re not realizing the significance, that who we are is revealed.

When I observe the simple interactions that make up most days, I realize I am often either engrossed in my own storm, focused on holding down my tent and getting through, or I am asking, demanding, pushing of others. I like to think the latter, the pushing, helps people become better, reach higher, risk further. I see Will though, and so many others in my life, who reach out to listen, support, and give of themselves easily. In the ordinary everyday, I’d like to do a little more of the holding up of others’ tents.

Watch your interactions today. Are you just holding on, hoping the wind doesn’t blow away all that you’ve been working for? Are you asking and/or demanding of others? Are you instead an encourager or perhaps a helper, willing to take over for another for a while? There’s significance here in the mechanics of our connections. Pay attention. The roles we play in these small moments make up who we are, who we ultimately become.

Hazelnut, Pear & Oat Muffins, makes 12 standard or 8 large

Inspired by Megan Gordon’s Whole Grain Mornings

3/4 cup oat bran, certified gluten-free

1 1/2 cups gluten-free flour mix

3/4 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. ground cardamom

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

3/4 tsp. salt

2 medium pears

1/2 cup honey

1/3 cup canola oil

1 cup almond milk

1 Tbs. raw apple cider vinegar

2 Tbs. ground flax seed

6 Tbs. hot water

1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with papers.
In a small dish, whisk together the hot water and flax seed. Set aside to form a thick slurry.
In a liquid measuring cup, combine the almond milk and vinegar. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the oat bran, flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices, and salt. Mix well and set aside.
Grate the pears using the large holes of a box grater. Don’t include the core and seeds.
In the liquid measuring cup with milk, add the honey, oil, vanilla, pears, half of the hazelnuts, and flax mixture. Stir thoroughly.
Pour the liquids into the dry mixture and stir until just combined.
Fill the muffin cups almost to the top with batter and then sprinkle the remaining hazelnuts on the top. Put the muffins in the oven immediately and decrease the heat to 375 degrees F. Bake until the tops are golden brown, for 20-25 minutes.

There are many reoccuring themes in my thoughts and for my own purposes, I’m starting to link them together. Here are a couple more past experiences on connections and listening.

Running, Summertime

Turmeric Ginger Seed + Nut Bars

August 21, 2014February 3, 2017by Rebecca17 Comments

Oats are one of my favorite foods of all time, and over the years they are probably the most common ingredient in many of my recipes. Aside from porridge, I really love to try out new variations of homemade granola bars. Recently, I’ve been using bars as a quick form of recovery after hard runs or races. With races especially, I often find it difficult to eat anything offered at the post-race party that might help me start the recovery process in a timely manner. Common post race offerings include bagels, bananas, pancakes, and sometimes pizza, which are all great carbohydrate-rich foods that I cannot eat. Making these bars and stowing them in my bag are the new way to go!

The Sports Nutrition literature recommends eating a post-workout recovery meal or snack with a ratio of carbohydrate to protein of 3 – 4:1. Eating a food or meal in this range helps with muscle glycogen re-synthesis. That’s science speak for sugars in the muscle. Adding amino acids (the building blocks of protein) to the carbohydrate mix also help with muscle protein synthesis. If the muscles begin getting re-fueled and rebuilt quickly, they will recover and be ready to get back out there sooner!

In addition to fitting within the recommended carb to protein ratio range, these bars also contain turmeric, ginger, and cinnamon. Turmeric has been used for centuries in India. It contains a compound called Curcumin which has often been lauded with potent anti-inflammatory actions. Ginger also has been known to reduce inflammation and it helps settle the stomach. I’ve been struggling with a minor injury all summer and my stomach often begins to feel like I just stepped off a carnival ride after a hard run, so the addition of turmeric and ginger help the recovery process just a little bit more. With the addition of cinnamon, the flavor combination also just plain tastes good, and for that alone, I’d mix these spices in!

These bars are healthy, filling, easy to make, and can be eaten any time of day, even if you’re not an endurance athlete. I’ve also been throwing them in my lunch box all summer to eat between meals when I need a snack.

If you’re really interested in the bars’ nutrient break-down, I’ve included it at the end of the post. For more on healthy inflammation-fighting foods, check out this article from Runner’s World.

Turmeric Ginger Seed + Nut Bars

These can be adapted in infinite ways by changing up the types of dried fruits, seeds, and nuts. I also enjoy subbing out half of the oats for puffed rice or millet. The dash of black pepper will help the turmeric absorb and become more bioavailable, so don’t leave it out.

3/4-1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 cups rolled oats (use certified gluten-free if necessary)
2/3 cup raisins
1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts, chopped
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/4 tsp. salt
dash of black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil a square baking dish (approx. 8″ x 8″) or line with a piece of parchment paper so the bars are easier to lift out.
In a large bowl, stir together the vanilla, 3/4 cup applesauce, and spices.
Place the oats into a food processor and pulse until they are coarsely chopped, but still have a fair bit of texture. Then stir them into the applesauce mixture.
Add the nuts, seeds, and raisins to the applesauce-oat mixture until thoroughly combined, and add a little more applesauce if needed.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and press down with the back of a spatula or spoon until it is compacted and even.
Bake for about 15-20 minutes until the bars are firm and lightly golden along the edge. Wait until the bars are cool and then slice into squares or rectangles. This makes 16 small bars (~100 calories each) or 8 larger bars.

Nutrition Information, (for a larger bar or two small ones)

208 calories

10 grams fat – 13% Daily Value

1 gram saturated fat – 5%

0 grams trans fat

0 mg cholesterol

32 mg sodium – 1%

27 grams carbohydrate – 8%

9 grams sugar

4 grams fiber – 12%

6 grams protein – 14%

Vitamin A – 0 %

Vitamin C – 2%

Calcium – 2%

Iron – 13%

63 mg magnesium – 20%

217mg potassium – 5%

Summertime

Carrot + Zucchini Oat Bran Muffins

July 27, 2014October 5, 2021by Rebecca2 Comments

I am a struggling carrot farmer. Packets of seeds. Different locations within the space. Different weather patterns, sowing dates, and groups of planting hands. Gorilla planting at random when watering. Watering frequently. Pre-sprouting. Row covers. Gleaning scraps of information from the successful carrot farmers I know. They’ve all been attempted.

Let me explain. I coordinate a school garden. I plan the crops, the rotations, the amendment schedule and IPM techniques and timing. I coordinate the students, the teachers, the garden club, and the irrigation. Somehow, I can’t quite coordinate the soil to grow a substantial crop of carrots.

The carrots we’ve managed to grow were fat and tasty, and there is a meager amount of later-planted carrotlings still pushing their way through their sparsely sprouted rows. There’s progress. But carrot farmer, I currently am not.

I see this carrot-failure as a small metaphor for the general way of things lately. I’ve been in a real mental funk, feeling like no matter the new tools I gather and employ, the result is still the same. Lackluster. Not the success I had envisioned.

In light of the set-backs and failures, both personal and carrot-related, I’ve been taking stock of the situation(s). I have a few more tools up my sleeve, a little more determination and knowledge with each new attempt. I tend to not give up easily. In fact, I’m more likely to summon the kind of rage orange-haired people are known for and use it to my full advantage.

Those carrots will grow in that garden. They’ve got great soil and an ideal microclimate. If they’re willing to grow in my home garden with its frequently neglected and weed-infested clay beds, those carrots must grow in the school’s garden. I’m insistent.

Harvesting at least one substantial row of carrots is my personal gardening mission for the season. We will have a good and healthy carrot crop come autumn. I’ve the rage on my side. :)

Carrot + Zucchini Oat Bran Muffins, makes 6 jumbo or 12 regular muffins
Recipe updated: 10/5/21

These muffins are heavily adapted from a recipe in The Sprouted Kitchen that I slowly adapted over months and years. We keep coming back to them and each time the muffins turn out better. They are a perfect way to begin a laidback summer breakfast AND they use up summer squash or zucchini and carrots–because let’s be real, I have five summer squash in my fridge from the last two days harvests, at least six more growing rapidly on the plant, and tons of squash blossoms and bees making more magic happen. I’ve EVEN managed to grow a successful crop of carrots in my home garden. If you’re a gardener, know one who shares, or have a CSA box, you too are probably trying to sneak veggies into anything and everything at this stage of summer!

1 cup non-dairy milk
1 tsp. raw apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup / 56 gr coconut oil
1 egg or 1 flax egg (1 Tbs. ground flax seed + 3 Tbs. hot water)
1 Tbs. blackstrap molasses
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup chopped pitted dates
3/4 cup grated carrots (about 1 large carrot)
3/4 cup grated zucchini or yellow summer squash (about one small squash)
1 1/2 cups / 180 gr gluten-free flour mix
3/4 cup oat bran
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. xanthan gum
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. salt

In a large bowl, pour in the non-dairy milk and vinegar. Whisk and let sit for a couple minutes. Then measure in the oil, egg, molasses, and vanilla. Stir in the carrots, zucchini, and chopped dates.
In a small bowl, mix together the flour, bran, sugar, baking powder, soda, xanthan gum, salt and spices. Then pour into the wet mixture. Miix gently until all the ingredients just come together.
Scoop out the batter evenly into a prepared muffin pan, and bake for 20-25 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees F.