Oatmeal

[dancerjodi]

I have oatmeal for breakfast almost every day. As such, I've been curious about what McDonalds has been advertising lately. I don't shop there and didn't want to sample it, but I was skeptical given how much I hate the flavored/instant "oatmeal" that you can find at the supermarket.

Apparently I wasn't the only one http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/22/how-to-make-oatmeal-wrong/?hp . I loved this commentary!

My breakfast is usually 1 of 2 options, unless Brian and I go out somewhere on the weekend (breakfast is his favorite meal):

-I cook 1 cup of steel cut oats on the stove in 4 cups of water over a 20 or so minute period. I do this at night after work, while I'm doing other things around the kitchen or on the first floor. I throw in cinnamon and some craisins, that's it. Then before work I scoop some out of the container and microwave it for a minute (while I'm feeding the bunnies), done!

-If I haven't had the time or forethought to cook a batch of steel oats ahead of time, I cook some old fashioned oats (not instant) on the stove. a 1/2 cup of oats to a cup of water. Get the water boiling while I'm feeding the cats, throw in the oats, cinnnamon and craisins once boiling and cook for 5 minutes (while I'm feeding the bunnies). Done!

Both could be more exciting, but I'm happy with the routine. Both are filling, are food, and have limited sugar (just from the craisins, which probably amount to a tablespoon or less in one breakfast's worth of oatmeal). Nothing beats the smell, taste or texture of it (compared to the alternatives). Since I've been in this routine I just can't eat the instant stuff - flavored or non. The sugars are too fake and too sweet, and the consistency is kind of like glue.

What is your favorite healthy/shortcut food?

Comments

[zanylikethat.livejournal.com]

I saw that article as well! Astounding. As much sugar as a Snickers? YIKES.

I really like basic oats in all the possible iterations. I, too, avoid adding sugar other than some dried fruit, though I also like to add some vanilla almond milk. I think I get the quick-cook kind, though I think I want to try steel cut. I hear they have a nice texture. Some days I'll mix in a dollop of peanut butter or some chopped almonds to add a little extra protein on the days when I won't get to eat for a really, really long time--try to push breakfast that extra mile.

On days I'm in a huge rush, I slice open a couple of medjool dates, pull out the pits, and spread a little peanut butter inside, and then eat them. It's absolutely delicious (like PB&J but without the bready carbs!) and has enough protein and fruit sugar to keep me running for a while. The trick, of course, being to eat only two, maybe three. It's easy to eat a lot of them, and then you're back to square one of lots of sugar and fat.

[dawntreader]

that is a GREAT article. i wondered about it, actually. i don't mind the instant packets or quick oats for convenience. i buy plain or low-sugar though because the full-sugar varieties are waaaayy too sweet. i never eat the "and cream" varieties. they're disgusting! which is why i laughed out loud reading the description of "Strawberries and Cream" packets.

"Real oatmeal contains no ingredients; rather, it is an ingredient. [So] ... Take, for example, Quaker Strawberries and Cream Instant Oatmeal, which contains no strawberries, no cream, 12 times the sugars of Quaker Old Fashioned Oats and only half of the fiber."

mmmm... sounds delightful. :/ seriously? why bother! at that point, just eat Cap'n Crunch! at least you know you're getting what is advertised. sugar sugar and sugar. lol

however, i'm addicted to quinoa which takes 10-15 minutes to cook. stir in fresh blueberries and a dab of maple syrup at the end? TEH YUM. better than pancakes!! (i haven't found any instant quinoa packets. lol)

i've also mashed in a banana or cinnamon and brown sugar in my quinoa or plain oatmeal, too.

[futurenurselady.livejournal.com]

Plain yogurt with fresh fruit that I mix in myself.

No sugar except what's naturally in the fruit, and from the lactose in the yogurt.

[nepenthedreams]

The first time I had real Oatmeal (only recently) as in steel-cut oats made in a slow-cooker with dried fruit overnight with milk - OMG.
huge difference over the instant oatmeal.

[goat.livejournal.com]

You can also toast a bit of quinoa and add that to your porridge for a little extra crunch. Yum!

[ej-geno.livejournal.com]

trader joes has a good "quick" steal cut oats. 1/4 cup of oats + 3/4 water and about 5+ minutes in the microwave.

[zanylikethat.livejournal.com]

Breakfast... quinoa...?

I like the way you think!!

[dawntreader]

anything you can do with oatmeal, you can do with quinoa. whatever you like to eat on your oatmeal, try it with boiled quinoa.

that's how i was introduced to quinoa, actually. i didn't start branching into quinoa-dinners and salads until recently. it's good stuff everywhere.

[roaming.livejournal.com]

AS much sugar as a Snickers? No wonder Tom will only eat the instant stuff and can't stand steel cut. Whereas like you, I love the steel cut, with some agave, and freeze dried "Just Blueberries" from WFM (nothing added, just blueberries). I also add Trader Joe's "Golden Roasted Milled FLAXSEED with blueberry" for flavor and more fiber. Mostly for flavor: oats have enough fiber.

I don't think I have a healthy shortcut food. :-/ (Edit: ooh, wait. Yeh, when I want something quick/healthy I have zero fat greek yogurt, a little honey, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.)(Now if only there were something for memory. . . )

[roaming.livejournal.com]

Oatmeal, the miracle food!

[cris.livejournal.com]

My default weekday breakfast option is a slice of toast with some jam or a bit of butter. If I plan ahead, I'll sometimes start a pot of steel cut oats (1:4 ratio of oats to water), but I only let it boil for 5 minutes, then keep the lid on and let the residual heat continue to cook it. In the morning, I'll add a tablespoon of water and then reheat while waiting for coffee water to boil. My usual flavorings for oatmeal are dried fruit (either craisins or sliced apple chunks) and a small squeeze of maple syrup along with a dusting of salt and cinammon (sometimes cardamom or ground coriander if I need a change). Sometimes, I'll toast some walnut chunks and throw these in at the end of the reheat.

Of course, the initial formulation was taken from Mark Bittman's Recipe in How To Cook Everything ;)