This is what happens when I stand in front of my fridge in the evening, looking for inspiration for my next recipe, and I see a beautiful zucchini just chilling there, all alone, somewhere between the romaine lettuce heads and a bag of carrots. It must have slipped my radar when I made my Indian inspired stir-fry the either night. But now, it’s staring back at me and I know I want to cook something with it, but I can’t figure out what exactly. I didn’t have enough to make zoodles for everyone, and it would have been pretty selfish of me to make zoodles just for myself. I could have chopped it and add it to a salad as is, but I wanted to do something with it. Since my fridge had provided me with limited inspiration, I looked into the freezer and saw a bag of frozen organic wild blueberries. Yup. There was the last little bit of inspiration I needed. I was going to make a blueberry & zucchini bread for breakfast the next morning!
Excellent idea I thought!
And an excellent breakfast it turned out to be. The loaf was gone in no time. I didn’t even have time to take out the coconut yogurt or the stewed apples I intended to serve it with. My toddler was begging for more while his mouth was still full and my husband was slicing pieces as he was eating them. Now that’s a winner in my book! Luckily, I was able to steal a piece (a large piece I must admit) for myself and I enjoyed every last bite with a hot cup of coffee.
This loaf has all you need to start your day off right: it’s got fruits, it’s got vegetables, it’s got whole grains and it’s got protein and some wholesome tasty fat. Pretty much all the good food groups are represented here. And did I mention it’s super moist and decadent tasting. You almost feel naughty eating it but you don’t because the ingredients are so good for you!
One of the ingredients I almost always add to a breakfast loaf is oatmeal. I’ve enjoyed eating oatmeal since I was a little kid. Ok, in all honesty, I didn’t enjoy it at all when I was a kid but nonetheless, I ate it every Tuesdays and Thursdays without fail. And my parents gave it to me for good reasons.
According to Adda Bjarnadottir, MS and Hrefna Palsdottir, MS over at healtline.com, oats are a very good source of fiber, especially beta-glucan (which provides us with digestive benefits), and are high in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Half a cup (78 grams) of dry oats contains:
- Manganese: 191% of the RDI
- Phosphorus: 41% of the RDI
- Magnesium: 34% of the RDI
- Copper: 24% of the RDI
- Iron: 20% of the RDI
- Zinc: 20% of the RDI
- Folate: 11% of the RDI
- Vitamin B1 (thiamin): 39% of the RDI
- Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid): 10% of the RDI
- Smaller amounts of calcium, potassium, vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) and vitamin B3 (niacin)
Oats are also the only source of a unique group of antioxidants called avenanthramides, believed to have protective effects against heart disease.
So yes, oats are a good thing to add to your diet. Even when I’m having a lower carb day, I include oatmeal either in my breakfast or as a snack. It provides me with sustained energy and leaves me feeling satiated, which is not something I can say about fruits which give me an immediate energy rush upon eating but then leave me hungry and lethargic shortly after. So to make sure I have good energy throughout my morning, I mix my fruits with my oatmeal: winner combination!
I hope you enjoy this loaf as much as my family did. Leave me a comment and let me know if you ate it as is or if you enjoyed it topped with some whipped coconut cream or some home made jam.
- 1 Tbs ground chia seeds
- 3 Tbs water
- 1/2 Cup agave nectar
- 1/3 Cup coconut oil + 1 tsp for greasing
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 Cup gluten free flour mix (I use Bob’s Red Mill)
- 1/2 Cup rolled oats (I used Quaker GF rolled oats _ not instant oats)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 Cup zucchini, shredded (do not wring out)
- 1 Cup frozen bluberries
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease a loaf pan with the teaspoon of coconut oil.
- In a small bowl, combine the ground chia seeds and the water. Set aside for at least 5 mins.
- In the meantime, in a microwave safe bowl, melt the 1/3 Cup of coconut oil.
- Add the agave nectar to the melted coconut oil and mix well with a small whisk.
- Add the vanilla extract and set aside.
- In a larger mixing bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Add the chia egg to the coconut oil mixture and stir to combine.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones and stir to combine.
- Add the zucchini and the blueberries.
- Gently stir to mix everything together.
- Pour into the greased loaf pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes. Mine was done in 60 minutes but I’ve bake it at my parent’s house and it was done in 50 minutes. So check after 50 minutes and add time accordingly.
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