Recipe: Winter Oatmeal with Banana & Walnuts

Last week it really felt like we had graduated to the winter season, and I excitedly made oatmeal with bananas & nuts! Bananas and nuts are both inherently heating and give sustenance to the body during the colder darker winter months. It is recommended to eat bananas away from milk, contrary to popular American practice. I recommend using a rice milk if you like something milky to top your cereal. Read on to learn more about bananas, walnuts, dates & oats... 

*Note: The bowls of oatmeal shown above were for me (vata-pitta) and my pitta-vata partner. We both have very strong digestion. If your digestion is less strong or you tend towards congestion or lethargy, please use less banana and walnuts when topping your oatmeal. 

• Bananas are high in potassium (good for the muscular system) as well as high in iron (good for anemia). Bananas are somewhat heavy and therefore it's best to eat them spiced with cinnamon, ginger or cardamom, as in the recipe below. They are excellent for winter, but should be avoided in the spring.
• Walnuts are known in Ayurveda for being beneficial for brain and heart health, and like bananas are good for muscular strength. They are a great source of Omega-3s and protein. Appropriate for winter, but should be avoided in spring & summer. 
• Dates, Cinnamon & Cardamom : Read about them in the recipe: Warm Date Shake
• Oats are heavy, cool and sweet making them summer- & winter-time friendly.  They are known to be an excellent tonic for the nervous system and are great for chronic constipation.

Serves 2. 

1 c oats

3 c water

1/8 t cardamom

1/4 heaping t cinnamon

5 dates, sliced into rings

handful of walnuts, broken into smaller pieces

1 banana, sliced 

rice milk* optional  
ghee* optional

In a medium sized pot, combine oats, water, spices and dates and bring to boil over medium heat. Turn to low, and simmer until oats are cooked (about 7 minutes) stirring occasionally. Serve oatmeal/date mixture and top with walnuts and banana. Optional to top with rice milk & ghee. Rest assured, this oatmeal does not need any sweetener because of the banana & dates.

• Vata: excellent! Can add 1/8 t dry ginger as well to aid digestion. Add ghee to topping.
• Pitta: good in winter. In summer, reduce cinnamon to just a pinch, & increase cardamom to taste. Add a sprinkling of nutmeg. Substitute sunflower seeds for walnuts. Add small dollop of ghee to topping.
• Kapha: Avoid.