oatmeal lovers club!

i looooooooove oatmeal. i eat it like twice a day! breakfast and in between meals as snacks!

what are your favorite brands and flavors? and how do you like your oatmeal?

my favoritie the high fiber cinnamon swirl and the strawberries and cream by quaker.

kashi ones have impressive nutritional values with protein and fiber, but i find them to be a bit bland!

Many mornings I eat steel cut oats (with some added ground flax) with a little honey drizzled on top and a half a cup of fruit (I've been really into blackberries lately).  It is soooo good and really filling.

One of the many things about steel cut oats, is although it seems like they take a long time to make, they really don't.  I make a batch on sunday night, stick it in the fridge and reheat it every morning and it can last for a work week.

Healthy and satisfying!  That combo can be hard to find until you get used to a calorie count lifestyle :)

Oatmeal is my favorite meal/snack ever!

This morning I had 1/2 cup of instant regular oats microwaved with 3/4 cup water, a I mixed in a tbsp of peanut butter and some cinnamon :) so yummy. I add a side of 3 scrambled egg whites for added protein and I was content. And it always holds me over until lunch time.

I love the combination of 1/2 banana, cinnamon, and walnuts or pecans - it tastes just like banana nut bread. Another fave is blueberries, cinnamon, and pecans. & peaches with a touch of vanilla soy milk. Mm! Oatmeal is the best especially on those mornings when you just aren't quite ready to deal with the cold. (which for me is uh...never!)

Does anyone have some weird, unique things (that is delicious obviously) you do with your oatmeal?

I want to add oatmeal to my diet, but I haven't... not because of sugar, but because of so little protein.  All the brands I've seen are 4-7 grams.  I need way more than that, especially at breakfast.

So what do you do... add a scoop of whey protein to it??

Thejoyfulloser called Quaker "Quacker"...lol. And I also love oatmeal! Anyway, snapshot- as others have said the Kashi hot cereal has 8-9 grams of protein per packet. Some people also add egg whites to their oatmeal for protein, but I bet people do protein powder too. My favorite oatmeal combinations are either adding a packet of Swiss Miss Diet hot chocolate mix into a half cup of oats, or adding 2 mini-boxes of raisins and some cinnamon. I've tried adding PB and I thought it was too bland, and I've also added vanilla soymilk which is pretty good.

snapshot8d: If I want some added protein (which I usually do) I'll either add egg whites into my oatmeal or I'll add a scoop of my 100% chocolate Whey protein powder which adds 120 calories but about 23g of protein. So it's a yummy chocolatey oatmeal with lots of protein.

I am similarly obsessed with oatmeal (and, yes, the pre-packaged kind, but only the weight-control oatmeal, I hate all the sugar in the regular Quakers flavors).  I have eaten the Quakers Weight Control Banana Bread with fat free soymilk every morning for about 18 months and still look forward to it everyday!  (I also add raisins to keep it from being too bland)

As a vegetarian, the weight control kind gives me some extra protein and fiber to start my day.  After reading these posts, maybe I will try adding some whey protein for a little extra in the morning. 

Original Post by 23inchwaist:

i exercise strenously daily and watch my caloric intake. i dont think ill be having issues with my weight anytime soon. im a gym nut. 3 hours a day, 6 days a week!

~ I mean this in the nicest possible way because I used to be like this.. but chances are you are being inefficient with your workout routines if you are spending 3 hours a day in the gym.  You should be able to get the results you need in half the time if you know what you are doing... what does your routine look like?

~ also I second UD on not enough cals.

~ I heart oatmeal!  steel cuts, PB2 and almonds... such a comfort food.

Someone asked about Steel Cut Oatmeal.  I never bought it because it did take so long, and frankly I don't like to reheat my stuff, I'd rather cook it fresh.  So I found some "instant" Steel Cut at Whole Foods.  This is not in packets, but in a large package.  I put the instant in quotes because it take the same time as old fashioned oats, but not the 20+ minutes the regular would take.  It's  yummy, and I just put a little brown sugar in it along with some homemade low sugar jam (I make it myself so I control everything).  I also make it completely with milk so I get my full dairy.

Would 40 grams of steel cut oats bulk up to the same extent as 40 grams of instant? I like the volume and how long instant takes to eat. =)

omg i just bought some trader joes steelcut oats...let me tell you: waaaaaaaaaaay better than regular oatmeal. so delicious and it looks bigger and so filling! it does take longer to cook, but all worth it! i bought the one that's already made, just heat it up for 3 minutes and youre good to go. they have one in a canister and im gonna go back to trader joes tomorrow and buy that one instead because the frozen one only came with 2.

just had it for dinner and way filling. love it love it love it.

Is the taste of steel cut oats the same as the quick-cooking?

Mars, steel-cut oats are whole grain groats (the inner portion of the oat kernel) which have been cut into only two or three pieces. Rolled oats are flake oats that have been steamed, rolled, re-steamed and toasted. Due to all of this additional processing they have lost some of their natural taste, goodness and texture.  Also, of all the oats, steel cut are lowest on the glycemic index in the low 40's same as All Bran or Chick Peas.   Regular rolled oats are in the high 40's and quick and instant oatmeal is in the high 60's about the same as white bread.  So if you don't eat white bread because it's too processed and devoid of nutrition, realize that quick oats and factory made oatmeal packets are the white bread of oatmeal.  You aren't really getting nearly the full benefit of the oatmeal, and you are also getting an insulin response the same as white bread. 

Steel cut oats take around 20 minutes to cook.  If they've been processed in some way so they only take a couple of minutes on the stove, don't buy them, unless convenience is your only concern.  

i eat the weight control oatmeal every morning, its pretty good. but it sure is expensive! my coworker eats the regular oats, and mixes flavored milk/creamer into it, she always raves about it! i may try that once i run out of my oatmeal b/c its getting expensive!

I honestly can't stand the instant stuff from a package anymore.  I like the real stuff.  I really like the taste of steel cut, it's nuttier and feels meatier if you will.  I've tried the frozen from Trader Joe's and it's really good, and it's good to buy and keep at work for a quick breakfast if needed.  But I still like it fresh.  I just don't have 20 minutes each morning (simply because you have to keep stirring)

I'm looking forward to trying steel-cut oats, but...

"If there is one area where steel cut oats have a slight health edge, it’s the lack of processing. Both types of oats are cut, but the rolled oats are steamed (which cuts down cooking time later.)

So there is a chance steel cut oats contain slightly more vitamins and minerals, but don’t fret - even rolled oats contain the entire oat grain. You’re not losing valuable parts of the grain (bran and germ) like you would with white bread."

http://coachlevi.com/nutrition/rolled-oats-st eel-cut-oats-difference/

I've 3/4 full canister of rolled oats to go, and until the next time I'm at the store, they'll do. I agree with the last part of that link- just avoid the instant kind. 

I just thought of some other oatmeal ideas (sorry if repeating): add unsweetened applesauce or yogurt, mash a banana in it, or add chopped apples and cinnamon. 

 

Edit: I've also heard that you can soak steel-cut oats in water over night, drain them in the morning, then cook them according to the package, but in 5 minutes.

I wish I could find oatmeal for a reasonable price in Korea. Oh how I miss it...

I loove oatmeal as well! I just buy the plain big container of quaker ...I just cook it up with water on the stove and add cinamon and sometimes some berries and soymilk...I like to keep it simple!

When I started CC in '07, I could count on oatmeal to keep me full until lunch but now, not so much...why would that be? 

I love love love my oatmeal!!! I eat it every morning. Currently I am making it like this:

-1/2 cup old fashioned oats 1 cup water- microwave for 2 min

-1/2 tbsp honey

-3 pecans crushed

- 1/6 cup crainsins

Oh oatmeal heaven!! It's my new favorite way to make it and only 275 calories.

My other favorite way is:

-1/2 cup old fashioned oats 1 cup water and half a banana- microwave for 2 min (if you use an over ripe banana you dont need sugar)

-3 walnuts crushed

Tates like banana bread, yummy.

This one is about 250 calories.