Delicious make-ahead cold oatmeal!

You’ve heard it before: oatmeal protects the heart. And rest assured, the man on the Quaker oatmeal box isn’t lying — oatmeal is a whole grain, a type of plant food and complex carbohydrate that makes up the backbone of the heart-healthiest Mediterranean style of eating. Choosing whole grains as your main form of carbohydrate nourishment has been scientifically proven to thwart heart disease, cutting the risk of coronary artery disease by a phenomenal 40 percent. Eating whole grains, like oatmeal, is key to heart health. Studies show that people who eat a diet rich in whole grains are less likely to suffer a fatal heart attack. Don’t have time to make the yummier steel-cut kind of oatmeal? Here’s an easy-to-make ahead of time recipe!

Cold Oatmeal with Yogurt and Fresh Berries

1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
3/4 cup fat-free vanilla yogurt, such as Dannon Light and Fit®
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon honey
3/4 cup fresh raspberries
3/4 cup diced strawberries
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 medium apple, peeled, cored and coarsely grated
3 tablespoons ground flax seed
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a large bowl, combine oats, yogurt, orange juice and honey. Let stand 5 minutes. Gently fold in raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, apple, flax seed, and walnuts. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Serve cold.

Serves 6

NUTRITION FACTS
Per 1/2 cup serving:

Calories: 202
Fat: 7 g (0 g EPA, 0 g DHA, 2 g ALA)
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 1 mg
Sodium: 26 mg
Carbohydrate: 31 g
Dietary Fiber: 6 g
Sugars: 12 g
Protein: 7 g

Excerpted Prevent a Second Heart Attack.