Photo: Emily Kate Roemer



A Dessert-Like Meal That Won't Wreck You


Here's good news for banana lovers who are trying to keep inflammation under control: You can still avoid sugar, refined flour and dairy and have a breakfast that tastes a lot like banana bread. The not-so-secret ingredient? Oats. In research published in the Journal of Nutrition, overweight and obese participants saw a drop in an inflammatory marker called C-reactive protein (CRP) when they ate foods that were low on the glycemic index, one of which is oats. Turning the healthy ingredient into an indulgent-tasting breakfast is easy. You stir together oats, milk, bananas, Greek yogurt, coconut flakes, honey, chia seeds, vanilla and sea salt; then refrigerate the mixture overnight. In the morning, warm it in the microwave or on the stove, and top with bananas, roasted pecans, figs, honey and pomegranate seeds, for a sweet and satisfying bowl that tastes so good you'll hardly believe it's good for you.