A ripe pear with its skin left on carries more fiber than almost any other fruit you'd casually eat with breakfast, and cooking it right into a bowl of oat bran with flaxseed stirred through gives your gut three different fiber types before nine in the morning.
Ingredients
- 1 cup oat bran
- 2 cups milk (dairy or unsweetened plant milk)
- 1 ripe pear, diced with skin on
- 2 tbsp ground flaxseed
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- 2 tbsp plain yogurt, for topping
- 1 tbsp chopped pecans, for topping
Instructions
- Combine the oat bran, milk, cinnamon, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Cook, stirring frequently, for 4 minutes, then fold in the diced pear.
- Continue cooking for another 3 minutes, until the oat bran has thickened and the pear has softened slightly.
- Remove from heat and stir in the ground flaxseed.
- Divide between two bowls and top each with a spoonful of yogurt and chopped pecans.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
| Calories | 265 |
| Total fat | 8g |
| Total carbohydrates | 38g |
| Dietary fiber | 11g |
| Protein | 11g |
| Sodium | 110mg |
Why This Is Good for Your Gut
Oat bran is concentrated insoluble fiber, adding real bulk to stool and helping food move through the digestive tract more efficiently than regular rolled oats. Pear skin is loaded with additional insoluble fiber plus sorbitol, a sugar alcohol that draws water into the colon much like the sorbitol found in prunes. Ground flaxseed rounds things out with soluble fiber and a bit of natural lubrication from its oil content. Together they make for a bowl that supports regularity from three angles at once.
Leftover oat bran keeps well in the fridge for two days if you want to prep ahead.
This recipe is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional dietary advice.
