February is American Heart Health Month! Registered Dietitian Bonnie Roney shares the heart-health benefits of oats and how you can easily add them into your diet with a simple recipe. Visit Bonnie’s website at www.dietculturerebel.com to learn more about how to pursue health by adding in nutrient dense foods like oats and creating a healthy relationship with food.
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00:00 While we are on the last day of February, thinking about our heart health should never stop.
00:05 Last week I talked with dietician Bonnie Ronnie about some great heart health oat recipes.
00:11 Good morning Bonnie, how are you?
00:15 Good morning, I am doing well and thank you so much for having me today Brad.
00:20 Well this is exciting because you know we know about oats and how good they are,
00:24 but some people might not know how to make some cool little recipes to enjoy the oats,
00:30 but let's talk about how oats are very important to heart health.
00:34 Yes, so oats are a whole grain cereal.
00:38 We commonly see them in the grocery store as whole grain rolled oats, steel cut oats, or instant oats.
00:44 And they are especially heart healthy because they are rich in fiber,
00:49 which can help lower our total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol,
00:54 which many people hear of as that bad cholesterol.
00:57 And they also are rich in antioxidants, which may help lower our blood pressure.
01:02 I like that. And the important thing Bonnie about having oats is making them with the right ingredients.
01:08 I think sometimes, and not knocking, when we buy some of the packages from the store,
01:13 they add a little something to them, but if you cook them just healthy wise,
01:18 they're going to be really good for you, aren't they?
01:20 Yes, absolutely. And when I think about adding in nutrition,
01:23 I also like to think about how can I make my nutritious food taste the best.
01:28 So that's what we're going to do with our recipes today.
01:30 I love it. Okay, you got some things for us.
01:33 What do you have for us that we can enjoy very easy to make at home?
01:37 Yeah, so right here I have banana oat muffins.
01:41 We're not making these together today,
01:43 but it's just one way that you can incorporate oats into your daily diet.
01:48 And then I also have overnight oats here, another wonderful way to enjoy oats.
01:53 And what we are making together today is one of my favorite recipes,
01:57 and it is energy balls, which you can see right here.
02:01 I like it. Okay, let's get started because this is something I've been wanting to make,
02:05 but I don't know, every time I try to make it, mine fall apart.
02:08 I don't know what I'm missing out on.
02:10 Okay, well, this is the recipe that you need to use.
02:13 We start out with one cup of whole grain rolled oats.
02:18 And then we add in about three-eighths of a cup of ground flax seeds.
02:23 And these are also heart healthy because they are rich in fiber and omega-3 fatty acids.
02:29 Okay. And then we add in about one-quarter cup of chocolate chips.
02:34 We can't forget about those.
02:37 And then we have about one-half cup of peanut butter.
02:40 This peanut butter is what helps them stick together.
02:44 I like that. And should you use creamy or chunky?
02:49 I prefer creamy. I have to be honest.
02:51 I have never made them with chunky before, but you can try it out and let me know how it goes.
02:56 All right. And this is all the ingredients that you need right here.
03:00 We are almost done. We just have three more.
03:02 We have one-quarter cup of honey. Okay.
03:05 We want to add a little bit of sweetness to it.
03:08 And then our last two ingredients, we have just one-half teaspoon of vanilla extract and a pinch of salt.
03:19 That's it. That's it.
03:21 That's it. You don't have to bake them. You don't have to do anything like that.
03:25 You simply mix them up after.
03:27 And then I like to use a cookie scoop to put them into these portions right here.
03:33 Right. And that's it.
03:35 So you said no baking or anything, just mix it all together and roll them up.
03:38 Yeah. No baking. Just mix them up like this.
03:41 Do you put them in the refrigerator or can you eat them right away?
03:44 You can eat them right away, but I do prefer to put them in the refrigerator first just for maybe 30 minutes to an hour, and then they're great.
03:51 This is so easy, so delicious to do, and again, a great way to enjoy oats.
03:56 They're so important to you.
03:58 And also for breakfast, too.
03:59 I know you had the overnight oats, and that's pretty easy.
04:02 Will you explain to people really quick how to make the overnight oats?
04:05 Yes, I would be happy to.
04:07 So in these overnight oats, I combined 1/2 cup of rolled oats, 3/4 cup of almond milk, but you can use your milk of choice.
04:15 And then I added in 1 tablespoon of chia seeds, mixed it up, and I allowed it to sit overnight.
04:21 And this morning, I added in some vanilla yogurt, and then I topped it with blueberries.
04:27 There you go. Bonnie, oh, my goodness.
04:29 I love it. That is awesome.
04:31 It's so good and so delicious.
04:33 Where can people find more information about, of course, how oats can help your health and the recipes you've given us?
04:41 Yes, you can visit my website at dietculturerebel.com to find more information on oats and how to enjoy food with a healthy relationship with it.
04:50 I like it. Bonnie, thank you very much for joining us this morning.
04:53 Thank you so much for having me today, Brad.
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