Oatmeal - come and get it!

A client of mine yesterday asked, "What do you put in your oatmeal?" I thought this would be a good question to answer publicly so that we can share our healthy, yet tasty oatmeal recipes. 


First, though, why oatmeal? It is a great way to start your day off; oatmeal has a lot of health benefits and is easy to make. The benefits of oatmeal are due to the fact that it is made from oats which are a good source of soluble and insoluble fiber. 


According to the American Cancer Society: 


1. Insoluble fiber's cancer-fighting properties are due to the fact that it attacks certain bile acids, reducing their toxicity.


2. Soluble fiber may reduce LDL (low density lipoproteins) cholesterol without lowering HDL cholesterol (high density lipoproteins). LDL is bad; HDL is good.


 3. Soluble fiber slows down the digestion of starch. This may be beneficial to diabetics because, when you slow down the digestion of starch, you avoid the sharp rises in your blood sugar level that usually occur following a meal.


4. 4. It has been found that htose who eat more oats are less likely to develop heart disease, a disease that is currently widespread in the US.
 
5. The phytochemicals in oats may also have cancer-fighting properties.

6. Oats are a good source of many nutrients including Vitamin E, zinc, selenim, copper, iron, manganese, and magnesium. Oats can also be a decent source of protein. 

When making Oatmeal at home use "Old Fashioned" oats. These can cook in the microwave or over the stove, but have more health benefits than instant oatmeal; they also keep you feeling fuller, longer - always a plus!!

My favorite old fashioned oatmeal recipe:

1 cup 1% organic milk or vanilla soy milk
1 cap full of vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup dry old fashioned oats
(cook the above ingredients on stove until liquid have evaporated a bit and cooked into oats)
1/2 cup frozen wild blueberries
(add near the end of cooking process when there is still some milk left in pot)

Serve with the following options:
a) 1/2 cup fat free vanilla greek yogurt
b) 1 tbsp brown sugar (but not more than 1 tbsp)
c) 1 oz. walnuts, chopped


Another option is to have steel cut oats, these are not rolled or pressed flat like instant and old-fashioned oats, they are cut with steel blades and have a more thick consistency.
My cheat? I buy Trader Joe's Frozen Steel Cut oats (2 serving for $1.59) and all you have to do is microwave. It already has maple syrup and some brown sugar mixed in.
After microwaving I serve with the following options:

A) Top with a sliced banana.
B) Mix in 1/4 cup (46 g) of dried fruit. Anything from cranberries to mangoes go great! Trader Joes has a great selection of dried fruit to add.

Viola!

If anyone would like to share an oatmeal recipe they have found to be delicious and nutritious, please feel free to comment on this post and pass them along!