I am so happy to see this old breakfast item making it's come back. Lots of folks give me the frown face when I mention “oatmeal”. Or, they are eating the flavored stuff in packets. While those packets seem easy for morning rush families, they are loaded with extra sugar (up to 8 teaspoons) and are sneaky high in sodium. The heartier oatmeal is, the longer it will take to cook. If your family don’t like the extra soft texture of oats you may want to consider something a little bit grainier such as a steel cut or maybe not! Oats are a good choice overall because it's high in fiber, shown to lower LDL cholesterol(bad), and is high in important minerals like magnesium. To add a morning protein boost, swirl in nut butter or add some walnuts.
Choose rolled oats(a.k.a.old fashioned) or steel cut and use it as a grain at any meal or snack to enjoy it’s high fiber benefits. Oats are naturally gluten free but because it if often processed with wheat it may not be. But now there are many varieties on the market that guarantee gluten free. Enjoy oaty versatility!
You don’t have to cook it
Combine old fashion oatmeal and sweetener in a container, cover, and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, stir up oatmeal mixture. Top with frozen banana slices, stir, and enjoy! Note: You may stir in more milk in the morning until your desired consistency is achieved.
It is very easy to make your own healthy granola
Bake up a batch of this almond butter granola over the weekend and enjoy it throughout the week on top of yogurt, in a bowl with milk, or simply by the handful.
Ingredients:
Makes eight 1/4 c. servings 4 tbsp. almond butter 4 tbsp. honey 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract 2 tbsp. chia seeds, 2 c. oats
Directions: Preheat oven to 325 degrees and spray cookie sheet with cooking spray. Combine almond butter and honey in a bowl and microwave until almond butter is slightly melted (about 30 seconds). Stir almond butter and honey together. Add cinnamon and vanilla to almond butter mixture. Stir oats and chia seeds into almond butter mixture, completely coating oats in the mixture. Spread oats onto cookie sheet and bake for eight minutes before tossing oats and baking for another four minutes until granola is slightly brown. Let cool until granola is crunch and enjoy!
1. Use it in recipes such as salmon burgers and meat loaf
Oatmeal will help bind meat together and keep it moist- and is undetectable in terms of taste. Substitute 2-3 Tbsp of oats instead of bread in your recipe.
2. Add leftover cooked or raw oats to smoothies for a higher fiber hunger blasting smoothie
3. Use oats in pancakes, muffins, breakfast cookies, or breakfast breads
Skip the sweet and go for savory
You can use oatmeal in virtually the same way as grits. Adding spices, herbs, kale, mushrooms, and other veggie will make a great side dish. Check these savory oat recipes.