By Irene Hayton

For those who have dairy or soy sensitivities, almond milk is a good substitute. You can find it in health food stores or in the natural food section of many grocery stores. Virgin coconut oil has a lot more coconut flavor compared to the regular variety. See the November 2003 Health Tip for more information about the health benefits of coconut oil and this month’s Health Tip (September 2007) for information about oats. The almond milk and the coconut oil provide enough sweetness so that you shouldn’t need any additional sweetener.

• · ⅔ cup (150 ml) filtered water
• · ⅛ teaspoon (.5 ml) unprocessed sea salt
• · ⅓ cup (75 ml) large flake (old-fashioned) oats
• · 1 tablespoon (15 ml) virgin coconut oil
• · ¼ cup (50 ml) almond milk
• · ½ to 1 scoop whey protein powder (see Note)

Combine the water and sea salt in a small saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the oats, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and stir in the coconut oil. Combine the almond milk and protein powder in a shaker cup or blender, shake or blend until well mixed, and then pour over the oatmeal. Makes 1 serving. For those with larger appetites, you can increase the filtered water to 1 cup (250 ml) and the oats to ½ cup (125 ml) and add more almond milk if needed.

Note: Different brands of whey powder vary in the size of the scoop so use enough to obtain approximately 20 grams of protein (the label will tell you how many grams are in a scoop). See the June 2007 Health Tip for information on how to choose a high-quality whey protein powder.