We’re turning stodgy porridge into a winter wonderland with these tasty organic Maple Maca Oats from Chantal Organics. This combo pairs lush maple with earthy energising maca to create a creamy, sweet, seriously divine brekky.
My kids are going wild for them, and here’s why you will too…
- Packed with prebiotic fibre from the oats and oat bran
- Infused with plant-based probiotics (1 billion CFU units per cup)
- Rich in protein and omega 3s, thanks to creamy hemp seeds
All you need to do is add your favourite toppings. I’ve gone with sliced pear, a drizzle of almond butter, hemp seeds, and cinnamon. If your brekky is in need of a rev up and you’re looking for something on the go, you’ll love these. Read more about the benefits of adding both prebiotics and probiotics to your diet below!
How to make Maple Maca Oats
What are probiotics good for?
So why the need for probiotics in your brekky? It’s all about the gut.
You’ve no doubt heard about gut health by now, but possibly feeling a little more confused than confident. What’s the big deal with this word that previously only referred to a man’s waist line?
Our gut, or gastrointestinal tract, is lined with between 30 and 100 trillion bacteria, the health of which have a direct impact on our health. In particular, the health of our gut’s bacterial population can affect conditions as far reaching as asthma, allergies, autoimmune disease, viral susceptibility, Crohn’s, colitis, infertility, weight management, and depression.
If we don’t have enough bacteria (i.e. population numbers are low), or, we don’t have a good balance of different types of bacteria (i.e. too much Jonny not enough James), we experience dysbiosis (imbalance in the gut), and any of the aforementioned conditions.
How to rebalance your gut microbiome
So, you’re thinking – sheesh buff, all those conditions, that’s me. How do I get more of these fellas, and in the right proportions too? Here are my top tips on how:
- Eat more plants – our gut microbes eat one food and one food only – fibre. And guess where we find fibre? Plants. Only plants. That’s right – meat, eggs, dairy contain a big fat zero count on the fibre front, so if that’s most of what you’re eating, you’re literally starving those little guys down there. Over time, your gut bacteria population will dwindle, and many varieties will even become extinct. Once they’re gone, it’s very challenging to bring them back.
- Diversity of plants – every plant food contains a different type of fibre. So much for Biology 101 where we were told there were only two types – soluble and insoluble. Oh contraire, every plant food contains a different type of fibre, the extent of which we’re only just discovering via research now. Here’s the kicker – a healthy gut has over 30,000 different types of gut bacteria, and each of them like to eat a different type of fibre. I.e. each of them wants to eat a different plant. No more broccoli + tomatoes + kumara, I want you to include as many plants in your diet as possible. Write yourself a food diary this week, and aim for 40 varietals.
- Probiotics – the other word for fibre, is prebiotics. I.e. fibre is the food that feeds our bacteria therefore it comes before the bacteria – pre+biotic. The other way we can boost our gut health is by consuming pro+biotics. These are foods (or supplements) that have been pre-fermented to create the benefical bacteria for us. Examples are fermented foods (kraut, miso, tempeh, tamari, kombucha, kefir), or supplemental probiotics which you’ll often see referred to as CFUs (colony forming units, i.e the number of live and active micro-organisims that have been added to a product).
- Reduce inflammatory foods – meat, dairy, eggs, ultra-processed foods, alcohol, are all higher on the inflammatory scale, which can cause dysbiosis (gut bacteria imbalance). You don’t’ have to eliminate them, just steady on with your consumption, and add in a few more plants instead.
- Avoid antibiotics – antibiotics are great for killing off bad bacteria (the type that might take hold if you have your leg amputated). However, they’re not smart enough to be specific, so they demolish all our beneficial bacteria too. The latest research shows it can take between 6-12 months for your gut microbiome to recover after a single 7-day course of antibiotics, with some strains never repopulating. Save antibiotics for when you really need them (and no, a minor ear infection of cough does not count). The less we use antibiotics as a community, the more effective they will remain for the people who really need them.
If you want to learn more about gut health, read this post I wrote on 3 ways to boost your gut health here, or cut straight to the chase and watch my recent Gut Health Seminar in cooking school here.
Ingredients for these maple maca oats
Back to our brekky, here’s what’s inside each of these pots of Chantal’s organic probiotic oats:
Oats* (70%), Maple sugar* (15%), Oat bran* (7%), Hemp seeds* (5%), Maca powder* (1.5%), NZ Sea Salt, Ground cinnamon*, Probiotic Bacillus coagulans GBI-30 6086 (GanedenBC30®). *certified organic
A pretty amazing line up from a nutrition perspective – hitting all the complex carbs, fibre, omega 3 essential fatty acids, protein, and antioxidant buttons. All you need to do is add boiling water, and your favourite toppings.
Topping ideas for these oat bowls
You can go wild with your oat / porridge toppings, but I suggest you pick one each of the following to get that magic flavour/texture combo:
- Something fresh – sliced pear, kiwifruit, berries, persimmons – anything that’s in season, will add a light freshness to your oat bowl.
- Something drizzly – almond butter, peanut butter, cashew butter, hulled tahini, or warmed coconut butter – something to add creaminess to your bowl.
- Something sprinkly – hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, chopped almonds/cashews/brazils/walnuts, shredded coconut, cacao nibs – something to add crunch and texture to your brekky.
Want more easy brekky recipes? Try these next:
- Banana Bread Weetbix
- Chai Rice Pudding
- Banana Peanut Butter Cookies
- Apple & Coconut Muffins
- Banana Walnut Bread
- Oat and Raisin Cookies
If you make these Maple Maca Oats, do let me know! Leave me a rating and comment below (it helps the recipe become more searchable online), and if you want to make me an extra happy camper, tag me @begoodorganics on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook. I can’t wait to hear from you.
This post was gratefully made possible with the support of Chantal Organics. Thank you for supporting the brands that help me keep Be Good Organics a live and thriving recipe resource for you. I’m so lucky to be able to work with the best!
Ingredients
- 1 c Chantal Organics’ Maple & Maca Probiotic Easy Oats
- 1 c boiling water
Toppings
- pear sliced
- almond butter
- hemp seeds
- cinnamon
Instructions
- Pour boiling water into the oats (add more if you like a thinner consistency), stir, and leave to sit for 1 minute. Top with sliced pear, a drizzle of almond butter, sprinkle of hemp seeds, and dusting of cinnamon.
Did You Make This?
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I can’t wait to see your creations!
