As registered dietitians, we get many requests.  And one request that we seem to get over and over again is for gluten-free recipes.  Some of our favorite gluten-free recipes include gluten-free oats, but they have been a bit challenging to find, especially for our long-distance clients who don’t live in a major city.  Oats don’t contain gluten but are often contaminated by gluten-containing grains (wheat, rye or barley) in processing plants. When brands can guarantee a lack of contamination with gluten oats can be considered gluten-free.  So when Quaker sent us their new gluten-free oats the other day, we were so excited– everyone should be able to access them!

 

Aside from all of the requests from clients and friends, one of Tammy’s daughter’s closest friends can’t have gluten– and she’s over the house so much that anything that makes Tammy’s life easier is incredible! 🙂  Thank you Quaker! 🙂

 

And if you’re hesitant, don’t worry–the gluten-free Quaker oats have the same great flavor and nutrients as traditional oats and they’re packed with heart healthy 100% whole grain oats, fiber and vitamins and minerals.

 

So in the past couple of days, we’ve been whipping up so many recipes with the new gluten free oats– we’re lovin’ experimenting!  And we also checked out QuakerOats.com for inspiration and found a lot of awesome, healthy, energy-boosting recipes that Tammy can feel especially good about serving to all of the kids.  Here’s one of the first ones she tried, and it was one of many that was a hit– so we had to share it with you!  Yipppeee!!!

 

Homemade Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

We suggest serving these delicious breakfast bars with a nonfat Greek yogurt, a glass of low-fat milk or eggs for protein to round out the meal. Enjoy!

Makes 9 delicious bars

Ingredient:
2 cups Quaker Gluten Free Quick 1-minute Oats
2 ripe bananas
1 tbsp flaxseed meal
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp dry quinoa
2 tbsps brown sugar
¼ cup walnuts (or nuts of choice)
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease an 8” x 8” pan. Mash ripe bananas with the back of a fork until smooth. Place 1 cup of oats along with the remainder of the ingredients into a food processor. Pulse several times. Mix in remainder of oats with a spoon. Stir in oat mix with the mashed bananas until coated. Pour into greased pan and gently pat down until batter is spread. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Allow to completely cool. Cut into 9 squares and drizzle with melted dark chocolate (optional).

 

The Nutrition Twins work with Quaker to help people who have to avoid gluten find more gluten-free options.