Not skipping breakfast on Thanksgiving morning.
The post was sponsored by Whole Foods Market 365.
On holidays that involve large meals it can be easy for the disordered eating part of yourself to tell you to skip breakfast and just restrict yourself since you’re going to eat a big meal later. I’d say this is a typical practice that people with eating disorders, disordered eating and even your dieting neighbor Nance partake in.
But I am here in full support of eating consistently even if you have a large meal coming later.
One reason is that many of my clients report how skipping a single meal or snack can lead to bloating for the rest of the day or several days to follow. Avoiding being bloated is usually encouraging enough for them to eat consistently throughout the day (i.e. eating something every 2-4 hours). There should be no exception for eating consistently on holidays. Thanksgiving is meant to be a large meal of celebration and on my Hunger and Fullness scale (shown below) I even refer to one level of over fullness as “Thanksgiving Fullness”, which is a fullness level you probably wouldn’t want to feel on a daily basis but it’s normal to feel on Thanksgiving.
Being overly full can actually be an enjoyable part of the holidays if you allow it to be. Expect over-fullness to come. It probably will happen. If you don’t eat all day prior to your big Thanksgiving meal, it definitely will happen. Nothing amplifies a craving like restriction.
Another issue with skipping breakfast before the big Thanksgiving meal is that your hunger can distract you from spending time with people you care about. You’re able to be more present in your life if you aren’t distracted by a growling stomach all morning.
Now for a little about this recipe…
This apple pie baked oatmeal was made with tasty ingredients found at Whole Foods Market 365. Earlier this year Houston got a WFM365 and I quickly grew to love it since it feels more like a shopping experience than a mundane trip to buy some food. WFM365 is a simpler grocery experience with high quality products at an accessible price.
Whole Foods Market365 has changed a few things to help keep prices low, while maintaining the same quality standards and dedication to customer service as Whole Foods Market. To keep prices low WFM365 has fewer, more curated selection of products, smaller stores and have simplified a bunch of operational logistics.
Also, Amazon Prime members get exclusive savings, as well as an extra 10% off hundreds of items every day; just download the Whole Foods Market app and start saving.
I’m a fan of the WFM365 store and know we’ll be shopping there for years to come.
For this recipe, the pumpkin keeps the oatmeal from getting dry, so don’t eliminate it! I’d recommend eating this fresh out of the oven, so definitely make it first thing on Thanksgiving morning. Then pair it with a hot chocolate or mocha topped with WFM365’s peppermint whipped cream shown below. It’s freaking awesome and is only available for a limited time around the holidays.
Apple Pie Baked Oatmeal
Yield: serves 4-5
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Ingredients:
apple filling
2-3 tbsp butter
1 1/2 large honeycrisp apples
3 tbsp brown sugar, packed
1 tsp cinnamon
oatmeal bake
2 1/2 cups oats
3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 large egg
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup honey
2 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375ºF. Slice apples into thin 1-inch pieces. In a skillet over low heat, toss together butter, apples, brown sugar and cinnamon. Allow to cook until apples are softened, stirring frequently, about 15 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine all oatmeal bake ingredients. Scoop 1/2 of the oat mixture into a greased 2-quart baking dish (mine was oval-shaped). Add your layer of sautéed apples. Add the remaining oat mixture. Bake for 25-28 minutes, or until the top is set.
Serve with a hot chocolate or mocha topped with WFM365 peppermint whipped cream.
I'd recommend eating this fresh out of the oven. You can refrigerate and then eat cold or hot later, but I think it's best straight from the oven!
