I’m on a diet  long-term health change. 
  As a pastry chef, I have struggled with a “little-bit-of-a-weight-issue” for many years. I’m a food addict and a “dealer”. It hasn’t been until the last few years that I started to love myself enough to take care of myself. There. I said it. Oprah would be proud. I’m watching every single gram of fiber and carbohydrate that passes these pink-glossy lips and I’m really not one to ever complain…but you know I love breakfast cereal right? I love my carbs drizzled with butter and brown sugar. Heavy on the butter and the sugar. It is true that there’s nothing fattening about oats if you eat them like a normal person. I just don’t have a healthy boundary when it comes to butter and sugar. I find it hard to turn down…ever. Everyone has their own battle. This is mine. Frankly, it is actually really hard to admit that I’m less-than-perfect.  Yet, it is also highly liberating. I’m giving others permission to admit that they too, might have some real-life challenges, life-long demons, and dragons to slay. 


Fact. 
I was once told that “being thin” was selfish. 
Really?!  I didn’t say anything when Ignorant was talking really loud. I just nodded my head and cursed under my breath at how narrow-minded some people can be.  I guess if one is “on a diet” and then yells at the kids and tells them that they can’t eat the special “diet food” then it could be considered a bit on the selfish side.  Especially if I made my family something totally loaded with fat and junk for dinner and then ate the healthy food for myself, then I would most certainly be selfish. It would be like me saying, “I don’t care if you live past the age of 30!” Fad diets usually end. That is selfish. It is a weird way of telling the family that good healthy choices are always short-lived and that soon we’ll be “back to normal food”. On the other hand, if I make it all healthy and taste amazing for the rest of my life (and theirs)…enough that my 9 year old asks if I can make him more of that “awesome stuff”…then I’m being the opposite of selfish, right? I’m sharing the gift of long-term good health with the ones I adore most. You know…like sharing these Sugar Free Cream Puffs…

  Sometimes I win. Sometimes I battle some pretty obnoxious pastry-chef gourmet demons that love butter and chocolate…and flaky pastry crusted desserts. Oh…and fried chicken. Man I love that stuff.  Since I don’t smoke tobacco, drink alcohol, or coffee as part of my religion’s Word of Wisdom Law of Health. Food is the one “addiction” that I have left that doesn’t keep me from letting myself feel guilty at church. Admitting that however, is like somehow saying to myself that my Faith is flawed. When in fact, my ability to withhold my imperfections from my fellow men is really what is flawed.  We all have weaknesses. Admitting I need more faith is what it is all about!  If I actually lived the spirit-of-the-law-of health…I’d be thin. It isn’t about being skinny though, it is about taking care of this beautiful gift of life. I’m working on that part.  It’s a grand adventure.  Today I’m sharing some breakfast options that have been very helpful here. My kids eat them. I eat them. Today…we win!
 These are a  personal sized cheesecake oat breakfast mixes with:

  • 98 calorie
  • 26grams of carbs
  • 14 grams of fiber (yes– 13 net carbs) 
  • 14 grams of protein 
  • 2 grams of fat

  They’re low sugar and impact the blood sugar levels really nicely. This means I don’t have those wild fluctuations that lead to sugar cravings. 

They’re great for:
  • Breakfast anytime! 
  • Long-term storage for a lower-carb high fiber and protein breakfast.
  •  Diabetics. 
  •  Travel, work, camping and sharing. 
  •  Heart health and colon health.
Honeyville has some really great oat options.
This might be new to you.

Honeyville Course Oat Bran #34
“Honeyville’s Coarse Oat Bran #34 is produced from dehulled, cleaned, high quality stabilized oat groats. Oats are high in vitamin B-1 and contain a good amount of vitamins B-2 and E. Oat bran is the outer casing of the oat and is particularly high in soluble fiber, which is thought to be a leading contender in the fight against high cholesterol. Our oat bran comes in several variations usually denoted by a number following the name. Coarse Oat Bran #34 is a medium coarse grain.” 
It has 61 calories in a 1/4 cup serving, along with 17 carbs, 4 grams of fiber, and 5.6 grams of protein. It is an excellent product!

 This might also be new to you:
 Honeyville Oat Fiber
“Honeyville’s Oat Fiber is a convenient method of adding beneficial insoluble fiber to your daily diet. Oat fiber is more concentrated than oat bran and has 90% dietary fiber by weight. Fiber helps regulate digestive health and may help regulate blood glucose sugar levels.”

Oat fiber has a rather fine texture. You won’t need very much to add a lot of fiber either. One cup has only 20 calories and about 90 grams of fiber! 91 carbs. It basically cancels itself out when doing the net carb count (at least that is what my diabetic sister and nutritionist friends have said). 

Fiber Rules! My personal advice however on the Oat fiber, ” Don’t go crazy with it.” When I add it to my baked goods I usually have a steady rule to not add more than 3T per cup of the dry ingredients, otherwise it will seem a little too fibrous. That extra fiber boost is amazing for helping blood sugars stay level. It is also enough of a fiber boost to keep your stomach full a lot longer than you’d think! When I have this with my oats, I’m rarely hungry for at least 5 hours! Oh…and be sure to up your liquid intake when you increase your fiber. Otherwise, it will just make you miserable (and I think you know what I mean). 

Here’s the tutorial and recipe:
Personal Cheesecake Low Carb Oat Breakfast 
6 cups Honeyville Course Oat Bran #34
1T LorAnn cheesecake flavored oil (Honeyville retail stores)
1 tsp LorAnn nut or carmel flavored oil (your choice, but I love the chocolate hazelnut)

Drizzle the oil into the oat bran and whisk well. This breaks up the flavor.


Divide the oat bran into 1/4 cup servings. 
For regular use, I just put the mixes in baggies and place the baggies in an air-tight container. For long-term they can be put in half-pint jars.

 Then add to each portion:
2T Honeyville Oat Fiber
1T  Honeyville Soy Protein Isolate Powder
1T Honeyville granular erythritol (zero calorie natural sweetener)
a pinch of salt (optional)
1/4 tsp Chess Tess Wise Women Blend

I often add 1/4 cup of Honeyville freeze-dried Strawberries to each jar. That portion of strawberries will only add 15 calories and a lot of flavor. Try the freeze dried peaches too. They’re heavenly! When making jars, top each mix with an oxygen absorber and tighten the lid, making sure that the oxygen absorber isn’t overlapping the rim of the jar. These should be shelf stable up to 3 years. 


To prepare the cereal: Add 3/4-1 cup boiling water to the mix (depending on how thick you want your cereal) and allow to sit 3 minutes. Sweeten more if desired.

There you go! Some low carb personal breakfast options! Enjoy!
Always My Very Best,
Your Friend Chef Tess