Growing tired of hard boiled eggs for breakfast, I decided to start looking around to observe what some of my healthier colleagues were noshing in the mornings.  Save for the rail-thin dude who breaks his daily fast with a Maison Kayser chocolate croissant, oatmeal - or some sort of porridge - seemed to be the overwhelming item of choice.  OK, so oatmeal is healthy enough, right?  Sure, when it's in its simplest form - plain and made with water.  Yawn.  But when you add Craisins, chocolate chips, sliced almonds, milk, butter, honey, banana slices, granola (I always found this to be a strange addition), and brown sugar, this hearty cereal becomes as calorically dense as an ice cream sundae! 

For the new year, I made two goals: 1) Attempt Dry January again (this would be my second year), and 2) cook more of my meals at home.  Hell, I have a freaking CULINARY SCHOOL DEGREE - it's about damn time that I put it to use!  Plus, making my own food gives me the peace of mind in knowing every single ingredient that goes in to what I'm eating.  And that helps to put my rampant mind a bit more at ease.

Speaking of, I've been trying to pick apart my favorite recipes and make them a bit more healthy (cutting the oil in half, using less sugar, playing around with different spices, etc.).  With that, I have created the easiest, tastiest, waistline-friendly overnight oats recipe using coconut water (because plain water is so boring and I think that almond milk sucks) and dates (which add natural sweetness and texture), a fruit that I fell in love with during my trip to the Middle East last year. 

Ingredients:

• 1 packet of Quaker Instant Oatmeal Original

• 1/3 cup coconut water

• 3 pitted dates, chopped

• Optional: a pinch of salt, dash of cinnamon, and a splash of vanilla extract

Method:

1. Combine all three ingredients. 

2. Stir to combine. 

3. Refrigerate overnight. 

4. Enjoy!

...

Until we eat again, 

The Lunch Belle