What's for Breakfast? 11/1/11

Look at that date. 11/1/11. Two things: 1.) How is it already November?! 2.) That's a lot of 1's. Just wait until the 11th!

I thought I would do a feature on what I normally eat for breakfast: Oatmeal! This oatmeal, however, has a special fall twist that I just can't get enough of lately: PUMPKIN! I love pumpkin. Normally at this time in the fall, I gorge myself on sweet pumpkin bread, pumpkin roll, and many other sweet pumpkin treats. Those treats, however, are not part of the Clean Eating plan, but I have found ways to incorporate pumpkin anyway. I must confess, that while I have cut a lot of processed sugars, I have not cut all sugar. Instead of using white sugar, I've been either using organic sugar, raw sugar, or honey in it's place. So I am still enjoying a cleaned up pumpkin bread. ;)


Onto how to make this. I need simplicity in the morning. I'm in a hurry and have a pretty rigid routine. I eat Oatmeal and scrambled egg whites for breakfast, so to make it quick I microwave both. That's why the oatmeal looks a little sloppy... I just microwaved it until it was done.

What you'll need:
1/2 cup old fashioned oats (less processed than those packets of oatmeal. Plus, it just tastes better. Once you go old fashioned, you'll never go back to instant. Blech).
1 scant cup of water (to make up for the fact that pumpkin has a lot of moisture in it. Plus I like my oatmeal a little drier)
2 spoonfuls of Organic Pumpkin Puree (or one giant spoonful. Eyeball it. Also, NOT pumpkin pie filling. I used Trader Joe's brand and it was delicious. If you don't get organic, look for brands that have just pumpkin and maybe some water in it. No added sugars!)
2 tbsp ground flax seed
Pumpkin pie spice to taste

Combine all the ingredients into the bowl. Mix. Microwave for 2-3 minutes, or until done.
Eat with your egg whites and you're good to go!