Ok OK, my food suggestor tells me to eat oatmeal, and I do love oatmeal, but the way I used to make it, I am not sure if it is healthy. Can anyone share the recipe they use for oatmeal, bc I would really like to take a break from shredded wheat for a few days!
my secret= LOTS of cinnamon. i loove it. i just used unsweetened oatmeal and throw in some cinnamon, and by lots i mean probably no more than 2 tsp, a little bit goes a long way. sometimes i'll add in some chopped walnuts if i feel like getting some omega-3's in and for some texture variation. then just a bit of milk, simpleis it embarrasing that i sometimes have that for dessert ? :(my mom always had TONS of butter and brown sugar, i.e. not the healthiest. if that's your usual plan you can try switching to a pre-flavored version. she's now happy with the maple&brown sugar flavor.
I prepare according to package directions using water and cook in the microwave. Then I add a about 2 oz sugar free maple syrup. Sometimes I add some walnuts as well.
Check out this forum for more ideas to flavor oatmeal:
http://caloriecount.about.com/forums/post/616 74.html
I love oatmeal. I haven't many of the variations listed in the above post but they sure sound delicious.
augette:hehe we posted the same post to look at =P
How did you used to make it??
I just microwave it w/ water... and add whatever fruit (ie. grapes, bananas, peach, etc) I have on hand with a tbsp of flax
I use the old fasnoned steel cut oats. I put them in boiling water the night before. shut of the heat and the next day I just heat them thru. {usually about 10 minutes or so}.
I usually eat mine with some fresh or dried fruit, a little bit of honey if any and a bit of cinnamon. Sometimes I also add a bit of soy or almond milk.
Sometimes I just eat it plain. Generally the ratio is about 1 cup water to 1/4 cup oats, but check the directions some kinds may have a differet ratio. IF you want somethign faster, try Scottish oats, they are half way between rolled and steel cutl
For extra flavor you can also toast the oats for a few minutes in a hot skillet. {doesn't really work with rolled oats}.
I don't even like the rolled anymore, now they taste like paste to me.
I used to cook it up with wqater, add vanilla essence and dried coconut, and about 2 T sugar, and pour milk over the top...
I even used to make caramel oatmeal... ARGH
i saw the heading "oatmeal TROUBLE" and immidiately changed into my super cape.
P.S. that thread was started by me :)
It doesn't look like there's anything wrong with you were doing before anyway... maybe honey/cinnamon instead of sugar for interest?
caramel oatmeal reminds me of caramel oatmeal cookies sans flour n baking time:)
hmhm.... Is anything wrong with me?? you tell me guys:))
I love oatmeal - cooked, boiled for about a 2 minutes, still with a little bit of liquid, and a little bit of salt...
When i pour it as a souce in the bowl, i am salvating immediately!:))) - i wait a minute, till it becomes a little harder and eat it, beggining with the edges and coming to the center, so it doesnt loose its heat....:))))
Honestly, i hate adding suff to things, dressings to salads, milk to coffee, SUGAR to teas.... i like things as they are, whatever they are!
Is anybody the same way out there?? would be cool!
okay personally, i hate microwaved oatmeal. you just don't get the same texture as when you make it on the stove. what i do is put 1 cup water in a pan. once it comes to a boil add 1/2 cup of old fashioned quaker oats. takes about 3-5 minutes for them to cook. you will know because they become thicker and i guess absorb the water. when they are almost finished i add some vanilla and a dash of cinnamon (a little goes a long way). for add ins- sometimes i will cut up an apple, sprinkle cinnamon and microwave for a minute and then put it in the oatmeal to finish cooking. or i will add 1/4 can of pumpkin when the oatmeal is finishing cooking. i never add those two once the oatmeal is out of the pan. always while it is still on the heat. then i always put in some splenda, 5-10 almonds and 1/4 cup of Go Lean Crunch.
I love oatmeal! But I only eat Steel Cut oats, they are the healthiest oats you can eat. They do take longer to cook, but you can do the over night thing like someone mentioned or cook in the morning on low heat while you get ready for work/school.
I eat them 4-5 days a week, 1/4 cup dry with 1 1/2 cups water slowly cooked on low heat for about 20ish minutes. I add cinnamon, nutmeg, ground flax seed and blueberries. I buy bags of frozen blueberries and put them in a small strainer and run under some hot water to thaw them out a bit.
I never add any sweetener. :)
Yea redkitty's recipe sounds good. I dont have time to make steel cut oats so i just basically do the same thing with old fashioned oats. I cook them in the microwave, and when they're halfway done i add some frozen berries, diced apple, or whatever im in the mood in. This way the fruit cooks nicely but doesn't get mushy. I add cinnamon too before cooking. The fruit sweetens it nicely and i dont need any sweetner. I also love to add some crushed walnuts/pumpkin seeds (in honor of fall), pecans or almonds at the end. I eat this every morning with my 7 egg (six whites, one yollk) omlette with spinach, mushrooms, and red peppers sprinkled with a little bit of low fat or fat free shredded mozarella....yummm
I eat oatmeal almost every day! I make quick oats on the stovetop following the pkg. directions, but before adding the oats to the boiling water I put in some frozen blueberries and lots of cinnamon. Yum!
I totally agree with vmcbutterfly. Oats cooked in the micro have a totally different texture than those cooked on the stovetop. I microwaved for a long time and then totally switched after I cooked them on the stove one time in an "experiment." Micro ones tend to come out goopy and gloppy. Stovetop ones are smooth and creamy, not sticky.
Also, nspeed, if you are interested in trying steel cut (they're awesome), you could try cooking up a batch for the whole week on the weekend, like Sunday maybe. That's what I'm doing, and it works out great. You can easily cook up a 4 or 5 serving batch just by using a 4:1 ratio of water/oats in a good-sized pot. Cook it for 30 minutes. Let it cool down and put it in a Tupperware in the fridge. Reheat a serving at a time in the micro, 2 to 3 minutes, and you're good to go. This way may actually REDUCE your breakfast making time, especially if you add in things like dried fruit and nuts to your original batch. You don't have to cut/chop/measure any add-ins at breakfast time. If you like to also add milk or yogurt, you can still do that before reheating or after. Just reheat and dig in! I have not found any noticeable deterioration in the quality or taste of the oats with this method.
Almond/soymilk, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and COCOA POWDER!! Yum!!
I eat oatmeal almost everyday for breakfast. I use 1 cup vanilla soymilk, 1/3 cup dry quaker old-fashioned rolled oats, and 2 packets splenda cooked on the stovetop. After I pour the oatmeal into a bowl, I add 3/4 cup fresh strawberry halves. I'm waiting to run out of my oatmeal supply so I can try the steel-cut oats.
Oatmeal breakfast -the calories may be higher than you wish but if it keeps you from a morning snack because you are not hungry it may be worth it. 3/4 cup oatmeal (bigger flakes rather than instant is supposedly better- less processing) and 1/4cup of skim milk powder is your basic. add water to taste - try1cup to 1.5 cups at first. put in microwave at full power for about 2 minuets(enough to bring water to a boil) them a lower power(20% or 30%) for a further 3 min or so to finish cooking. the lower power is to keep from boiling over- if you use a deeper bowl it will allow one full power cooking session. there are all kinds of stuff you can add to change tastes.Salt, brown sugar,maple syrup, cream,nuts, raisins, spices like cinnamon,fruit like apples(apples going soft when you prefer them crisp can be used up deliciously by adding it chopped up in small pieces.) dried berries like cranberries and blueberries. it is quick because you could make it the night before ,just popping it in the microwave in the morning. to be even faster I also cook it the night before last thing at night, leave it in the microwave(no one else to using it overnight) and just heat it in the morning and add the non-basics. you could even eventually get a bunch of small containers with the dry stuff measured out (good bulk weighing if you need to use a scale use a scale for greatest accuracy- like for diabetics) . Your own individual packets! bulgar , cracked wheat, other grains could be cooked in a similar manner too.(cream of wheat tends to lump too much even if you stop the microwave to stir -definately one to be stovetop cooked) add ground fax seed for omega oils, and ordinary wheat bran for fiber. I'd make up a tagged recipe like the following for quick calorie counting and just add whatever you use for variety. to make your own tagged recip adapt the following- 62 grams Oats, Regular And Quick And Instant, Unenriched, Dry [8120],3/4 cup ; 35 grams skim milk powder [1092]1/2 cup ; 1.5 tbs wheat bran ; comes to 375 calories. Just add water and pop it in the microwave in the morning. prepare it the night before. Add stuff according to taste. dried fruit(rasins, apples?), brown sugar, cinnimon, etc to your taste. Can make up a bunch of ziplock bags of individual serving. Can add perishables like cream when you actually cook it- that way the dry mix can keep till the next morning if you have overslept and do not have time for cooking breakfast,let alone eating it.
I cook 1/3 cup of old fashioned rolled oats in 1 cup of fat free milk. I add an ounce of raisins, 1 1/2 tablespoons of brown sugar, and a dash of cinnamon. I microwave it in a large bowl for 5 minutes. Cooking it in milk provides extra protein and a third of my calcium needs for the day. The raisins add iron. I try to have my breakfast and morning snack, combined provide, 1/3 of my calories for the day. If you want lower calories, use artificial sweetener and cook it in half milk, half water, or all water.
that comes to
Fat - 4.5% (2 grams)
Protein - 14.5% (13 grams)
Carbohydrates - 81.0% (74 grams)
Alcohol - 0.0%
Other - 0.0%
Daily Sodium Intake - 137 mg
Daily Cholesterol Intake - 5 mg
Daily Fiber Intake - 4 grams
Nutrition Grade A - 347 calories
I love my oatmeal plain - It's so good it does not need any help. I do the same with my veggies too. I might add a touch of garlic olive oil, but NEVER butter. IMHO butter is ONLY to be used on popcorn!
My children like their oatmeal with brown sugar or maple syrup, but never both.
I'm eating oatmeal right now. Ha, I have about 1/2 cup of oats and 1 cup of water. I added a tsp of light brown sugar and a dash of cinnamon. It tastes like oatmeal, but I like it.
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