This hearty breakfast is free of wheat, soy, dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, and eggs.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day! Whether you can eat anything under the sun or if you have to avoid 6 of the 8 most common ingredients that trigger food allergies, your body deserves a good start to the day. Here is a recipe for raisin and cinnamon oatmeal that I make for my family almost daily.

Oatmeal – A hearty breakfast free of the 8 most common food allergens.

Raisin and cinnamon oatmeal

• 4 cups of water
• Salt to taste
• 2 cups of old-fashioned rolled oats or quick cooking oats (gluten-free if needed)
• 1/4 cup of agave nectar
• 1/8 tsp Cinnamon
• raisins (1/2 cup or as many as you like!)

In a medium pot bring 4 cups of water and a few dashes of salt to a boil. Add 2 cups of oats and let simmer until they are soft and have absorbed all the water. Remove from heat. Stir in a ¼ cup of agave nectar and a few dashes of cinnamon to taste, add more salt to taste if desired. Mix in ½ cup of raisins. Enjoy your warm hearty breakfast!

Note about agave nectar: I like to sweeten my oats with agave nectar because it is a natural sweetener that has a low glycemic index. The body absorbs it slowly which means it will not cause a spike in blood sugar levels the way table sugar will. You can find it at most grocery stores next to the honey or in the baking section near to the sugar.

Variations: Some other sweeteners to experiment with are honey, maple syrup and brown sugar. A friend of mine adds apple sauce to his morning oats, brilliant! My husband adds shelled hemp hearts which are high in protein, Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids. We buy hemp hearts in bulk online and you can find them at some grocery stores.

Try experimenting with these toppings:

• Fresh berries
• Dried fruit
• Flax meal
• Craisins
• Dried currants
• Hemp hearts
• Bananas

Serving size: This recipe serves hearty bowls for my husband and I with plenty left for our two daughters.

Side note: To add calories to my daughter Evelyn’s diet I melt about a teaspoon of non-dairy “buttery” spread to her oats.

Well, that’s my plate of view! How do you like your oats?

Tagged: Breakfast, Gluten Free, Oatmeal