Pomegranate Cranberry Almond Oatmeal

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp pomegranate seeds, fresh
• 1/2 cup (40g) rolled oats
• 1/2 cup skim milk (or your favorite milk substitute)
• 1/2 cup water
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 medium banana, sliced into thin pieces
• 2 tbsp cranberries, dried (plus a few more as garnish)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1 tsp stevia
• 1 tbsp (6.5g) flaxseeds, ground
• 4g almond slivers

Directions

1. Cut pomegranate and separate out seeds in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. In a medium size pan, heat the oats, milk, water, and salt over medium heat. Once the mixture begins to simmer, approximately 5-6 minutes, stir in the sliced banana and the 2 tablespoons of cranberries.
3. Continue to stir, almost whipping, until the banana breaks down and the mixture thickens and becomes creamy, about another 3-4 minutes. I add the cranberries in now so they will have a chance to plump up.
4. I really like adding the banana, even though it has nothing to do with pomegranate cranberry almond oatmeal, because it adds so much volume to the oats.
5. Add the vanilla extract, almond extract, stevia, and ground flaxseed, and stir until incorporated.
6. Pour into a serving bowl and top with the pomegranate seeds, a few extra cranberries, and the slivered almonds.

Nutritional Info

1 servings = per serving Calories: 383 Fat: 8 g Carbs: 71 g Protein: 12 g Tip: If you are concerned about protein content, you can always add a side of scrambled egg whites in order to bump up the protein to carbs ratio. Check out more recipes from my 30-Day Oatmeal Challenge.