This healthy high fiber Oat Bran Power Bowl recipe is a really cozy way to fuel your day ~ oat bran is creamier, tastier, and keeps you satisfied even longer than regular oatmeal. We love it!
Do you eat oat bran? It’s probably our favorite of all the hot cereals, but for some reason we forgot about it for a few years, and rediscovered it in a big way this winter. Now we have it every morning. It cooks up to a creamier texture than oats, and I think it has a sweeter, ‘oatier’ flavor. Here’s the thing, oat bran is the outer layer of the oat, where all the ‘good stuff’ is. It’s even better than regular oatmeal at giving you that full feeling that lasts for hours. It’s so good for you that it makes sense to find other ways to get it into your diet, you can mix it into pancakes and muffins, sprinkle it into smoothies and yogurt, or use it in place of bread crumbs in meatloaf and burgers, etc.
Oat bran is like oatmeal on steroids ~ it’s a super food that lowers cholesterol, and helps prevent heart disease and diabetes. It absorbs water as it passes through your digestive system, which makes you feel fuller, longer, and so helps you control your weight.
Normally I’ll top it with a touch of dark brown sugar, some crumbled walnuts, a few raisins or dried cranberries, and milk, or coconut milk~ but today I decided to go all out for this oat bran power bowl and use a little bit of everything from my stash of dried fruits, nuts, and seeds. It makes this morning bowl extra hearty and satisfying.
TIP: Do you have opened packages of dried fruit, nuts and seeds scattered about your cabinets? I organize them in jumbo zip lock bags…one for fruit, one for nuts, and one for seeds…that way I can keep track of them and access them easily. No more lost and forgotten chia seeds!
Oat bran cooks even quicker than oatmeal, it only takes few minutes. Look for it in the cereal section of your supermarket, the main brands are Bob’s Red Mill and Quaker, and both are good. Some stores will sell it in their bulk bin section as well.
We discovered that oat bran reheats beautifully in the microwave ~ give it a stir and it’s good to go. That means you can make a big batch on Sunday and enjoy hot cereal for the whole week.
Even if you’re not a big oatmeal fan, give oat bran a try, you just might love it!
This oat bran power bowl proves that yogurt and smoothies haven’t cornered the market on pretty, colorful BREAKFAST BOWLS!
Oat Bran Power Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 cup oat bran
- 2 2/3 cups water
- 1/4 tsp salt
- dark brown sugar
- fruit nut and seed mix
- milk, half and half, or coconut milk
fruit nut and seed mix
- walnuts, chopped
- cashews, chopped
- pistachios, chopped
- sliced almonds
- dried apricots, chopped
- dried plums, chopped
- dried dates, chopped
- dried pineapple, chopped
- banana chips, chopped
- dried kiwi, chopped
- dried cranberries
- pepitas
- sunflower seeds
- flax seeds
- chia seeds
Instructions
- Put the water into a saucepan and add salt. Bring to a boil, then slowly add the oat bran, while whisking. Lower the heat and cook for about 2 minutes, it may bubble up so watch your pan. Then cover and let sit, off the heat, for 2 more minutes.
- Spoon the oat bran into 2 bowls, and add a sprinkle of dark brown sugar and some of the fruit/nut/seed mix. Top with a little milk, half and half, or coconut milk, and enjoy!
Make it your own ~
- For a richer cereal use low fat or non fat milk in place of half or all the water.
- Another way to enjoy healthy oat bran is in my ORANGE WALNUT OAT BRAN MUFFINS!
Don’t forget to pin this Oat Bran Power Bowl!
The above link to ORANGE WALNUT OAT BRAN MUFFINS goes to a different orange muffin recipe and I cannot seem to find an oat bran muffin on your site at all. I was really looking forward to orange walnut oat bran muffins and would love to try them. Can you help with that?
I’m very keen to try this! I forgot about oat bran too! I’m not satiated by oatmeal, or even steel cut oats, and am hungry about 2 hours afterwards. Also, I work out fairly regularly at an intense level, and feel that while people tout oatmeal as something that will “hold,” I feel it burns right through me. I love your recipes! Thanks so much for this!
One more concern – you talk about eating 1 cup of cooked oat bran – but on other sites i see not to eat more than 1-3 tablespoons in a day – not clear whether that is raw or cooked. I will assume it is raw. Even 3 TBS doesn’t equal 1 cup of cooked bran cereal.
So confused!!!
If you aren’t used to eating high fiber foods you might start with a smaller amount of oat bran until your system adjusts.
I have read that oat bran is tougher to digest and that it must be soaked with ACV or lemon juice before eating. Help?
I’ve never soaked oat bran in anything, Judith, and never had any issues.
I wish my husband be extra healthy and could afford such a breakfast even when I’m miles away distant!