Today, I am sharing with you some of my favorite ways to prepare oatmeal. Oats are a nutritious breakfast food that has the added benefits of being:
budget-friendly
easy to store for long periods of time, and
simple to prepare.
One of the pros of eating oatmeal for breakfast regularly is that this practice can significantly boost intake of fiber, something that we all need but often do not get enough of. Current recommendations state that women should eat about 25 grams of fiber per day, while men should aim for 38 grams per day. Unfortunately, most people typically eat less than HALF the daily recommended amount of fiber each day.
But, why does fiber matter? I’m sure one reason immediately came to mind for you: number 2. Fiber helps us to empty our colons on a regular basis. I think it is fair to say that no one enjoys the bloating and in some cases, pain that accompany constipation. If you want to avoid that, eating more plant foods in general can really help.
Another important outcome associated with fiber is colon cancer risk; eating more fiber has been shown to correlate with a lower risk of developing colon cancer in multiple cohort studies.
So, consuming more oatmeal may help to keep your colon healthy both in the now and for years to come. Still, oatmeal can sometimes feel like a boring food. On its own, it has a mushy consistency and bland color. It’s vomit-like, some would say. However, there are plenty of things that you can do to make oatmeal a colorful and more flavorful dish than you might be used to.
In all of these examples below, I include at least one fruit. This is because fruits are generally sweet, and adding fruits to oatmeal reduces the need to add tons of sugar and consequently reduce the nutritional value of the meal. Additionally, fruits provide lots of color, and who doesn't prefer a visually appealing plate of food to a plain one?
If you see a green leaf sticking out of the oatmeal in some of these photos, that is bay leaf. Growing up on St. Croix, my mother would always make oats with bay leaf, and I love the flavor it imparts on the oatmeal. Since living in the United States though, I have never gotten oatmeal from a restaurant, hotel, or dining hall with bay leaf added to it. Is this an island thing? Did you grow up eating oatmeal with bay leaf? Let me know in the comment section below!
One final note - the recipes for each topping are for 1 bowl of oatmeal, so you will likely need to scale up if you are prepping for the week or for more than one person!
Alright, so here are my six go-to variations of not-boring oatmeal. ¡Buen provecho!
1. Apple pie and walnut oats
Toppings:
1/2 large apple cubed
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp crushed walnuts
The apple pie topping is made by heating all of these ingredients on low heat for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure that the apples cook evenly. Save the walnuts for the end and sprinkle on top.
2. Fruit and nut oats
Toppings:
1/2 a banana
1/3 cup blueberries
1 tbsp crushed walnuts
2 tbsp mixed pumpkin seeds, cranberries, almonds, cashews
3. Yogurt, berries, and pumpkin seed oats
Toppings:
1/4 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup mixed berries
1.5 tbsp pumpkin seeds
4. Maple, almond, and cranberry oats (Fall-themed oats)
Toppings:
2 tbsp sliced almonds
2 tbsp dried cranberries
1 tbsp maple syrup
5. Flaxseed, banana, raisins, and honey oats
Toppings:
½ a banana
1.5 tbsp raisins
1 tbsp ground flaxseed
1 tbsp honey
6. Apple, pomegranate, and sunflower seed oats
Toppings:
½ green apple, cubed
1 tbsp sunflower seeds
2 tbsp pomegranate seeds
Enjoy today.
~Recipes by Michelle Adams @YellowCedarNutrition~
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