Reasons Why I Love Oatmeal
One of the best breakfasts you can prepare is a bowl of oatmeal. Not only is it inexpensively priced and easy to make – especially if you buy steel cut oatmeal in bulk, it’s also flexible. Instead of buying a box of 10 packets for twice the price of a large container, try some of these ideas.
I use steel cut oatmeal. Cooking takes a bit longer, but then I make enough for the whole week. I generally use 2 cups of dry oats to 4 cups of water. I like it stick to the wall pasty. After the oatmeal has been refrigerated, I heat it with 1/2 cup of low fat milk, and generally cinnamon and Sweet-n-Low. Sometimes I use sugar free syrup. Steel cut oatmeal is best because less processing is used – more fiber and nutrients are left.
Oatmeal is an all around great food. A few of oatmeal’s healthy benefits are:
Nutrient dense
Lowers cholesterol
Helps with weight loss
May help fight cancer
Provides fiber
Can’t stomach oatmeal every day? Try some of the variations below.
Cinnamon and Sweet-N-Low or Splenda: Use a package of Sweet-N-Low or Splenda with Cinnamon to taste mixed in with your oatmeal.
Apple-Cinnamon: Add chopped apple or a few teaspoons of natural, unsweetened applesauce to oatmeal and cook. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
Maple Brown Sugar: Instead of real brown sugar, you can use sugar-free pancake syrup and a dash of cinnamon. Or try the brown sugar replacement now available.
Fruit and Cream: Add low fat milk or vanilla protein powder and a few strawberries or blueberries to oatmeal, or mix in a teaspoon of sugar free preserves, or Polaner All Fruit.
Maple-Walnut: Add 1 tablespoon sugar free pancake syrup and a few chopped walnuts.
French Vanilla: Add 1 teaspoon vanilla, a splash of low fat milk, and a packet of Splenda.
Cinnamon-Raisin: Try using a few dashes of cinnamon, a splash of sugar free maple syrup, and a teaspoon of raisins instead of flavored packets.
Protein Boost: Stir in 1 scoop of your favorite protein powder.
Butter-Pecan: Add a teaspoon of imitation butter flavor, teaspoon of butter substitute, or a few sprinkles of Butter Buds and a teaspoon of chopped pecans.
Other Grains: Try a multi-grain hot cereal, 5- or 7-grain hot cereal, or oat bran for a little change of pace. Any of the flavor varieties listed above work well with these complex carbohydrate hot cereals.