Peach Pomegranate Oatmeal Bowl

Disclosure: This recipe and blog post were created in partnership with The Quaker Oats Company. I was compensated for my time. As always, all opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that support Street Smart Nutrition!

Red happens to be one of my favorite colors so my closet has some strong contenders (I’m looking at you, 10-year old college sweatshirt). But it’s also a great reminder that February is American Heart Month. Although I’m still young, it’s never too early to start building health-promoting behaviors for years to come. That’s why I teamed up with Quaker one more time to share a heart-healthy breakfast recipe that can help you make the small changes that add up to better health.

Start your morning with a heart healthy breakfast recipe for American Heart Month. This Peach Pomegranate Oatmeal Bowl will fill you right up!
Oatmeal for Heart Health
Heart disease is the number one health risk for American men and women, making it more important than ever to raise awareness about risks, symptoms, and how to help prevent it.

Although many of us may focus on weight loss to improve health, it turns out that making small changes to how and what you eat can help foster health benefits (even if your weight doesn’t change)! This is something that comes up often with clients, but intuitive eating means that things like convenience, flavor, affordability, and personal preference all matter just as much as nutrition does for our overall health and well-being.

Peach Pomegranate Oatmeal Bowl
With all of this in mind, I set out to come up with a colorful (read: RED!) breakfast that can be prepped in minutes. Quaker Old Fashioned Oats can be fully cooked in the microwave in just two and a half to three minutes, so when it’s all said and done, breakfast can be ready to go in less time than it takes for me to decide which hoodie and legging combo I’m wearing for the day.

If you’re looking for other version of this oatmeal bowl, check out the sweet AND the savory with the Balsamic Raspberry Oatmeal Bowl and the Savory Pesto Oatmeal Bowl

But in all seriousness, this oatmeal recipe for Heart Month is incredibly simple. Although peaches aren’t in season during February, the frozen option works great in this bowl. I just transfer the frozen slices to the fridge the night before so they have some time to thaw and soften. After that, they can be added straight to the bowl and the chill actually helps bring my oatmeal back to an acceptable temperature for eating.

What can I say? I’m all about efficiency and the flavors in this bowl are so good, I don’t want to have to wait to dig in!

Start your morning with a heart healthy breakfast recipe for American Heart Month. This Peach Pomegranate Oatmeal Bowl will fill you right up!
Peaches, pomegranates, and pistachios add up for a killer combo of flavors and textures. It’s also kind of a killer tongue twister if you want to try saying it out loud really fast. If you’re not familiar, check out how I make things easier (and less messy) when I’m working with pomegranates.

If a different fruit combo is calling your name, check out my Pineapple Banana Protein Oats for another heart-healthy, nourishing breakfast option!

Pomegranate Kitchen Hacks
Let’s cut right to the chase: it’s easier (although more expensive) to outsource the work. The produce sections have started featuring little containers of pomegranate arils (AKA pomegranate seeds) and in my opinion, it’s totally worth it.

This goes back to the days of my dietetic internship when, for some unknown reason, one of our professors thought it was necessary to demonstrate how to de-seed a pomegranate in class. No one wanted to volunteer – for obvious reasons. Pomegranate liter

ally stains EVERYTHING it touches and yeah, dietetic interns have enough to worry about without scrubbing dark red stains out of their last clean shirt.

Long story short…I got volun-told to step right up. Cue some of the most mortifying moments of my formal education that I still resent to this day. BUT. I will say, I’ve never forgotten how to de-seed a pomegranate.

Silver linings. It’s fine.

PEACH POMEGRANATE OATMEAL BOWL
Celebrate American Heart Month with this nourishing, fiber-rich breakfast featuring the convenience of frozen peaches and colorful pomegranate

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup Quaker Old Fashioned Oats
1 cup water
1 dash kosher salt
1 cup peaches sliced, fresh or frozen
1/4 cup pomegranate arils
1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
1 tbsp chopped pistachios
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 dash ground cinnamon optional
INSTRUCTIONS
If using frozen peaches, allow to thaw in advance or chill in the refrigerator overnight.
Combine the Quaker Old Fashioned Oats, water, and salt in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for two and a half to three minutes per the instructions on the canister or until fully cooked. Remove from the microwave and stir.
Mix in the ground ginger and cinnamon (if using). Top the bowl with the sliced peaches, pomegranate arils, and chopped pistachios. Drizzle the pomegranate molasses over the top and serve immediately.