Farro Oatmeal with Bananas and Peaches

I am a HUGE fan of oatmeal. Once the weather gets a bit cooler then my oatmeal game is on! It’s an easy one-pot breakfast and it keeps you full all day long. I can’t say enough positive things about oatmeal.

However, I will admit that oatmeal can get a little boring. Yes, you can change up the fix-ins, add peanut butter, cocoa powder, coconut milk, almond milk, etc. But yet it’s still oatmeal.

Which is even more reason to try making farroatmeal or farro oatmeal. Farro is an “ancient grain” with origins in Italy, Rome to be exact. It is nutty, chewy and extremely nutritious being high in iron, protein and fiber. In my opinion, a wonderful alternative to oatmeal or cream of wheat. It’s also great to have for dinner in place of rice or pasta.

The cooking method is the same as if you were making oatmeal. I combine milk and water with a pinch of salt and vanilla extract and bring it to a boil. Then I add the farro and allow it to simmer until cooked through but still chewy.

The milk adds creaminess and the vanilla extract makes it taste like rice pudding. Farro does not have as much “starch” as oatmeal so it won’t be as creamy but equally delightful.

You could definitely add milk, nut butter or yogurt for extra creaminess so it resembles more of an oatmeal-like consistency. However, I really like the texture of the farro and the milk makes it a little richer and breakfast-y.

This recipe brings up a good point when you are trying to be healthier or lose weight. Breakfast truly is the most important meal of the day. However, it can also get monotonous at breakfast time. So this recipe is a great way to mix things up and give your morning more variety.

There are truly endless possible for what to add in your farro oatmeal but I will give you a few ideas to start:

Fruit (fresh or dried)

• apples
• bananas
• pears
• strawberries
• raspberries
• blueberries
• dried cranberries
• dried cherries
• dried currants
• dried raisins

Nuts/Seeds

• almonds
• cashews
• walnuts
• chia seeds
• sunflower seeds
• pumpkin seeds

Extras

• honey
• maple syrup
• cocoa powder
• nut butters
• coconut
• jam
• hemp seeds

Okay! You get the point.

**A few tips to make your farro and mornings go a little quicker. Soak the farro overnight. This will soften the farro and will shorten the cooking time. Also, you can cook up a big batch of farro and re-heat it in a small saucepan with water or milk until warm. So don’t feel like you need to spend 40 minutes every morning cooking up farro. You can cook some on Sunday night and then have it ready all week to make your mornings even quicker (and more filling).

I hope this will inspire you to mix up your routine and give farro a chance.