My morning routine is as follows- brush teeth, wash face, locate eyeglasses, turn on radio (NPR), set up french press coffee, drink first cup, find brain, make breakfast. Ravenously hungry from the moment my feet touch the hardwood floor, its a wonder I find time to hit the bathroom at all before making my way to the kitchen. Eggs, pancakes or pastry are no good- all sit too heavily in my stomach. Butter & jam slathered toast or a peanut butter/honey sandwich used to do it for me once upon a time. They used to…that is until I had a change of heart.

I had regarded oatmeal as an “old people food”, a viscous glob- it looked regurgitated. Why would I eat that? It looked like someone else already had and it hadnt done them any favors. I honestly dont know how it came to be that I fell in love with oatmeal- maybe it was a health conscious decision (we all hear how good it is for you)? Or maybe I grew tired of my bread based breakfasts. Whatever be the case- oatmeal worked its way in as a favorite. I loved the range of topping options, the feel of the velvety softness of the grain on my tongue…the way it complimented my coffee and warmed me. Most of all I liked how it made my belly feel so damned content. I stuck with my oatmeal routine for quite some time until just recently when I decided to experiment with other grains. Quinoa in particular grabbed my interest. Supposedly quinoa is some sort of super grain- its a complete protein that includes all nine essential acids plus a plethora of other health building nutrients. I like its nutty flavor and the fact that it cooks up so fast in comparison to rice. Pigeonholed as a dinner food, I failed to consider it as an option for other mealtimes. That all changed a week or so back- one morning, I took the plunge and swapped my usual oatmeal for quinoa. I prepared then dressed it just the same- blueberries, sliced peaches, walnuts, raisins, cinnamon and maple syrup all tossed with the cooked grain, topped off with a generous pour of cold soy milk. I found I needed only half the amount of quinoa than I did oatmeal- 1/4 cup vs. 1/2 cup to fill me. This changed everything- oatmeal paled in comparison to this new concoction. Its a bit lighter consistency wise but the cereal packs the same punch- it satiated my hunger and was overall a fantastically nutritious breakfast. Oats are a thing of the past for me…quinoa is king.