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Do you ever buy something with a Best-By date a little closer than you’d like? I recently did that with some cottage cheese, which I really only use in oatmeal, of all things. The no-salt-added variety adds a lot of creaminess and protein without that weird “I’m eating cottage cheese in oatmeal” taste.

However, I prefer not to eat the exact same thing every day, so it usually takes me a couple weeks to get through a container. When I saw I had less than a week in which to use this one (I know you can use it for a few days after the use-by date, but I get skeeved out), I figured it would be a good chance to try something new. I had also just gotten some gorgeous raspberries (thanks, mom), so it was pretty clear what needed to happen—chocolate raspberry oats. Yes, I know I am way too into oatmeal, but trust me on this one.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 c oats
• 1.5-1.75 cups water
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1/2 banana, sliced
• 1/4 cup raspberries
• cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup cottage cheese
• More berries for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. Bring water to a boil. Add oats and chia seeds and lower heat. Stir.
2. Add cocoa, cinnamon and banana. Stir well. Keep stirring to break up banana pieces.
3. When the oats have absorbed almost all the water, add vanilla. Stir and cook another few minutes
4. Add raspberries and cottage cheese and stir for one more minute.
5. Pour into a bowl and top with more berries, if desired. You can also add a dusting of cocoa powder and chocolate shavings, but I forgot to.

So far I’ve had this two days in a row. So much for not liking to eat the same thing each day.

This is a twist on an earlier recipe for carrot cake oatmeal. As someone who spends a lot of time helping people strategize ways to work more vegetables into their diet, I’m always looking for new options. This is rich and chocolatey (and packed with antioxidants) without being overly sweet, but you could add a little maple syrup or other sweetener to brighten it up a bit. On a day you want to cross a serving of vegetables off the list before you even head out the door in the morning, give this a shot.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 c oats
• 1 1/2 c water
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• half a banana, sliced
• 1 carrot, grated or processed in a food processor
• cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• dash of salt (to bring out the sweetness)
• 1 tbsp nut butter (I used Peanut Butter & Co’s Dark Chocolate Dreams)

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