Egg white and cauliflower oatmeal?! It sounded disgusting to me at first. But if you are looking for a breakfast that has a lot of volume and balanced macros, and tastes amazing too, his recipe may be your answer.

Ingredients

• 30 grams of rolled oats (or oat bran), uncooked
• 200 grams water
• 1/4 tsp Celtic sea salt
• 100 grams finely riced cauliflower, uncooked
• 4 egg whites
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• stevia, to taste
• 1 tbsp natural peanut butter

Directions

In a small pot, heat oats, water and salt on high to a boil. Lower heat to medium and stir and add cauliflower, egg whites, cinnamon, and stevia. Stir frequently for around 5 minutes to cook the cauliflower and egg whites completely.

Note: Definitely get finely riced cauliflower. If the chunks are too big they don't cook fully and the end result is no bueno. 

Transfer to a bowl and top with peanut butter.

If it's too hot to eat, I stick and ice cube in the middle of it.

Calories: 293

Protein: 24 grams

Carbs: 28 grams

Fat: 11 grams

Fiber: 6 grams

I swear if you didn’t tell someone that cauliflower and egg whites in this bowl, they would not know.

So what’s the benefit of adding cauliflower and egg whites to your oatmeal? Well, basically you get more volume (a really big bowl of oatmeal) AND a more balanced meal.

Look at the macros above compared to a traditional bowl of oatmeal of about the same size:

• 60 grams of oatmeal (or oat bran), uncooked
• water
• 1/4 tsp Celtic sea salt
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• stevia, to taste
• 1 tbsp peanut butter

Calories: 325

Protein: 12 grams

Carbs: 44 grams

Fat: 12 grams

Fiber: 8 grams

You see how there are more carbs and less protein? This isn’t necessarily bad or wrong, it’s just about knowing what feels best for your body.

I know for me, I like eating a big breakfast but if I ate that much straight-up oatmeal in one sitting I would need to go back to bed because I’d be so sleepy.

This may be bringing up a lot of questions around "proper nutrition" for you, so I thought this might be a great time to cover some of the main questions I get on macros and meal planning.

The Top 4 Questions I Get Asked About Counting Macros

1. Why count macros?

If you read my article about my reverse diet you know that I have done my fair share of macro counting, both during the reverse diet and also back in the day when I was trying (aggressively) to lose weight.

For those that don’t know what “macros” are, they grams of protein, carbs, and fats that each equal a certain amount of calories per gram, that add up to your total calorie intake for the day. It sounds complicated but it’s really not.

If you’d like the whole scoop on macros, check out my Metabolic Reset Self-Study Program.

2. Should I count macros?

It depends. Like anything, counting macros or calories, or following a meal plan or other types of “structure” like this, is simply a way to hold yourself accountable and bring more awareness to what you are actually consuming.

In the beginning, when you know nothing about proper nutrition this is one way to learn and get familiar with what works best for your body.

That said, the danger in counting macros is that for a lot of people, they can get obsessed and counting macros or calories can consume their thoughts and their days.

I have had women share with me in an initial discovery session before working together, that they plan their entire day around what they can and cannot eat. They won’t allow themselves to go out to dinner or eat at a friend’s house because they won’t be able to “control” the food like they can at home, weighing and measuring every food item before consuming it.

And in most cases, they end up feeling like they are in body-jail, unable to fully embrace the adventure of life because they are so wrapped up in what they are eating. Been there done that. For me, that was no way to live long-term.

In other words, if counting macros helps you get a handle on proper nutrition, great. But if you become obsessive about it (or anything) that’s when it’s time to take a step back and look at what is really going on.

If you need further help, fill out this application to apply for a complimentary 30-minute Dream Body Breakthrough Session. I only offer a few time slots per week and they fill up fast, so if you’re interested, definitely apply sooner than later.

3. Should I avoid carbs?

People are so afraid of carbs! Carbs are NOT the devil. Your brain and your muscles need carbs. Yes, some people are able to handle higher amounts of carbs than other people (for various reasons, i.e. if you have been restricting carbs for a really long time, of course your body is not going to know what to do with them if you all of a sudden eat a large amount… or if you are fairly sedentary, you probably don’t need to eat as many carbs as someone that has a very active daily life), but all in all there is no reason to fear carbs.

Every body is different, so it’s tough for me to give broad stroke advice on how much and what kind of carbs to eat. What works best for me may be different than what works for you or another client. But please do not be scared of carbs.

My broad stroke advice is this. Choose whole food carb options, meaning vegetables, fruits, and other minimally processed, preservative-free (foods that are not in a package) as often as possible and make sure you’re eating enough whole food sources of protein and healthy fats too.

Beyond that, learn to listen to YOUR body above all else.

4. Isn’t intuitive eating the way to go though?

My wish for you (and my goal with all of my clients) is to get to a place where you can ROCK your dream body and your dream life, by your definition of what that means.

In order to achieve that, you will need to pull in a certain amount of structure to help you know what to eat and when, AND also enough freedom to go out and live your life to the fullest.

I DO NOT want you sitting at home obsessing about what food to eat and what workouts to do, because, for most people, that is super depleting and isn’t in alignment with “rocking their dream life.”

Listening to YOUR body and eating intuitively is, for most people, the ultimate goal but it’s fine to pull in tools, tricks, and whatever else you need in order to keep it simple, realistic for your lifestyle, and in alignment with your preferences.

So if counting macros helps at this stage in the game, go for it. Or if you really love eating intuitively and you are getting the results you are looking for, go you!

As frustrating as it might be, and no matter what the magazines and media tell you, there is no one right answer across the board.

I tell my clients, I have a tool belt of resources and tricks, and we will customize and create the perfect lifestyle plan for you.

Hitting your dream body goals is great, but if you can’t maintain them for the long-term, then what is the point?

True body and food freedom lies in taking the time to tune inward and learn what works best for you.

Can you relate? Have questions? Head over to the private Facebook group and join the conversation!