Who’s not a fan of oats?
There’s so many ways to eat them.
Toasted up in a fresh batch of home made granola, sprinkled over an Acai Bowl, in cookies, bliss balls, and bars, as a hot cereal with all the toppings and yes, the iconic overnight oats.
But hold on to your oat milk lattes, you’re going to want to hear this.
There’s two main reasons I no longer eat oats:
Reason #1:
According to the Rodale Institute, 100% of oat cereal samples tested positive for glyphosate residue.
What is Glyphosate? It’s the active ingredient in Roundup herbicide and a probable human carcinogen.
These levels in oats exceed the cancer risk benchmark dose for children stated by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) by over 2 times.
EWG has found that even organic oats aren’t safe from Glyphosate. They too can be exposed to Roundup when it drifts from neighboring conventional farms who are spraying. They can also be exposed to cross-contamination from facilities where conventional oats are also processed.
The only way to know for sure if you’re oats are clean is if they are both certified organic and Certified glyphosate residue free.
Here’s one of the new seals you can look for on packaging:
Reason #2:
Organic or not - Round Up or not, oats contain dagger like proteins called lectins that poke holes in the very thin wall of your gut lining, causing gut permeability which leads to inflammation.
This is why you may have heard that oats can exasperate arthritis. I had heard that from a respected doctor in Singapore ten years ago and took that to heart, not knowing why that was. Now I know. Lectins.
Ironically we could probably stand up to lectins if we weren’t constantly exposed to Glyphosate, which also causes gut permeability!
So what’s an oat lover to do?
I’ve got you.
There are a number of different substitutes for oats depending on what you’re making.
I’ll share my alternative for overnight oats in a bit, but here are some substitutes to tie you over:
For granola: Substitute green banana chips (you can make your own thinly sliced and roasted) or sliced tigernuts (these are not actually nuts, but tiny tubers high in pre-biotic fiber. They come pre-sliced as well as whole, you’ll want the sliced).
For oatmeal: Substitute millet and make a porridge by cooking in coconut milk and stirring consistently. You can even use an immersion blender to achieve desired consistency. It’s soooo good, I like it more than oatmeal.
For bliss balls, bars, and cookies: Substitute sliced organic tigernuts or tigernut flour
For plant forward milk: This one is up to you and how you like your coffee, tea, and smoothies. I’m a fan of flax or hemp seed milk and most nut milks like macadamia, brazil nut, or hazelnut. I know you love your oat milk, but just don’t drink it for gut’s sake! (See what I did there?)
My Overnight NOT Oats
OK - so here’s my recipe for overnight NOT oats.
I’ll be using general measurements rather than precise ones because you can’t really go wrong. Let this be more of a creative, recipe-free system for this delightful breakfast, snack, or dessert. See my Instagram Reel for more.
Instead of oats, I used a combination of organic sliced tigernuts and shredded coconut. I did layers of basil seed pudding (like chia, without the lectins), and sweet potato puree with pumpkin spices instead of pumpkin.
Ingredient Ideas
Generous handful of organic sliced tigernuts
About a TBSP or two of shredded coconut
Zen Basil seeds
Coconut yogurt
Handful of chopped Granny Smith apple
Coconut milk
Boiled or roasted sweet potato without skin
Pumpkin pie spices
Cinnamon
Walnuts or pecans, chopped
Allulose, stevia, or other sweetener to taste
Instructions
In a parfait glass or jar, throw in the tiger nuts and coconut shreds.
Pour in coconut milk, enough to cover the mixture so it soaks in.
Layer in the chopped apple pieces.
In a separate bowl, make a mixture of sweet potato, spices, and coconut yogurt - depending on your preferred consistency you can simply stir for a chunkier vibe, or use a food processor for a smoother blend. If you like it sweet, add some sweetener to taste.
In a separate jar or glass, hydrate your Zen Basil seeds in coconut milk. I usually do about 1-2 TBSP and cover with 1/2 cup to a cup of milk, giving it a stir every minute or so for the first 5 minutes. Stir in a bit of sweetener to taste and set this aside in the fridge to hydrate on its own overnight or in a few hours when it’s a chia pudding consistency. You’ll use it as part of the topping.
Layer the sweet potato/yogurt mixture on top of the tigernuts/coconut shreds, cover, and place in the fridge overnight
In the morning layer the Zen Basil seed pudding on top, if you haven’t sooner, and garnish with chopped walnuts or pecans and a dash of cinnamon.
Have the best time digging in to this glorious food of the gods!
When you try out the Overnight NOT Oats, leave a comment and let me know what you think!