Paleo Winter Warming Porridge
YUMMM!! Even in Mexico, it’s been cool enough in the mornings that this Paleo Winter Warming Porridge has become our go-to breakfast. It contains ingredients we’d normally put in a smoothie—but it’s not a great idea to eat smoothies when it’s cold out (since cold foods cool you down). So the healthy fats and proteins in the Paleo Winter Warming Porridge keep us warm, as well as help us stay satiated for hours afterward. Plus it’s super delicious!
Unfortunately, some recent blood labs indicated Captain Kirk and I both have higher-than-optimal blood sugar levels. No bueno! Even though we eat very clean and healthy, everybody processes carbs differently. For some, maybe not as well as they age.
And for others, stress (including mental, emotional, physical, or environmental stressors) can be a bigger factor than diet when it comes to increased blood sugar. And who didn’t experience any stress in the past couple of years?!
So we’ve been experimenting with eating more Paleo-like. A Paleo diet has been shown to help lower blood sugar and reverse insulin resistance, and metabolic disorders including type 2 diabetes. If you’re not familiar with what Paleo is, it basically avoids processed foods, dairy, grains, and sugar.
Paleo breakfast idea
Since I’m allergic to dairy, that was not a deal-breaker. And we rarely ever eat processed foods or sugar either. But we used to eat a lot of gluten-free grains like rice, quinoa, and oatmeal. And since I’m gluten-free and allergic to eggs (eggs are ok with Paleo), breakfasts have always been my most difficult meal to figure out what the heck to eat!?
Oatmeal had been one of my fav breakfasts for years. But it seems like it’s not great for my particular body. Remember, bio-individuality. Every BODY is different. So what works well for one person (even if it’s healthy) may not work well for another. We’ve been experimenting with using a blood glucose monitor to see which foods do/don’t work well for our individual bodies. And it’s been a fascinating experiment!
And when we decided to switch up our diet yet again, I was really wondering what I could eat for breakfast?! Sometimes we eat Salmon & Greens, basically, a salad topped with fresh or canned salmon, which is delicious too. But I really prefer a warm breakfast when it’s cool out.
After searching online for paleo porridge recipes for inspiration, I created this one combining our fav ingredients. So hope you enjoy this Paleo Winter Warming Porridge as much as we do! We made this breakfast for friends recently and they also loved it, and couldn’t believe it wasn’t oatmeal!
The photo above of our Paleo Winter Warming Porridge was taken Christmas morning, topped with festive pomegranate seeds and pistachio nuts. (FYI: Pomegranate seeds are low glycemic, and have even been shown to help lower blood sugar and aid in reversing type 2 diabetes as well.)
Paleo Winter Warming Porridge
Ingredients
- 3 TBSP chia seeds
- 3 TBSP hemp hearts
- 1 can full fat coconut milk
- + filtered water to equal 2.5 cups liquid
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp cardamom
- 1/2 tsp ginger powder or 2 TBSP fresh grated ginger
- 1/4 cup shredded coconut
- 1/4 cup almond butter or other nut butter
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds pecans or other nuts
- 2 organic apples chopped (if not organic, peel first)
- 1 cup frozen blueberries or mixed berries
- 1 TBSP cacao powder optional, for a chocolatey taste
- 1 TBSP maple syrup optional
- Pomegranate seeds optional topping
- Pistachios optional topping
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients and stir over medium heat for 10-15 minutes until everything is thoroughly heated. (You can also combine all ingredients in the pan the night before, refrigerate over night, and heat up in the morning.)
- Adding maple syrup is optional if you need it sweeter. However, the apples and berries add quite a bit of sweetness, so we don’t usually add any maple syrup.
- Top with pomegranate seeds and pistachios for a fun, festive look, or your other favorite toppings.
Please share it with your friends and family, and leave a comment to let us know how you liked it.
