Hot oatmeal is a great way to start your day on a cold winter morning.
Unfortunately, the most popular products are pre-sweetened packets, full of sugar and other needless ingredients. Here, for example, is the ingredient list for Quaker Instant Oatmeal, High Fiber, Maple & Brown Sugar:
Whole Grain Rolled Oats, Maltodextrin, Sugar, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Guar Gum, Oat Flour, Sucralose, Niacinamide (One of the B Vitamins), Vitamin A Palmitate, Reduced Iron, Caramel Color, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (One of the B Vitamins), Riboflavin (One of the B Vitamins), Thiamin Mononitrate (One of the B Vitamins), Folic Acid (One of the B Vitamins).
Instead of settling for such mediocre offering, try a single ingredient product – plain oatmeal. Cook it with hot water or milk. Then sweeten it with fresh or dried fruit, or add some chopped nuts. If you need a sweeter kick, add a touch of honey or brown sugar to suit your palate.
When it comes to plain oatmeal, there are several types you can choose:
- Whole oats (groats or kernels) – the least processed of the oatmeal cereals, and require the most time to cook. It is not very common to use these oats for breakfast.
- Steel cut (Irish or Scottish) oats – These oats are cut, not rolled, and look similar to chopped up rice. They have a chewy, nutty consistency and take a long time to cook (15-60 minutes). They contain more fiber, protein, calcium and other minerals than other varieties of oats. They also have slightly more calories and fat. (At Costco, in the freezer section, you can buy individual servings – 6 to a box – that have already been cooked and only take 3 minutes to thaw in the microwave! My personal favorite!!!)
- Rolled (“old fashioned”) oats – These look like flat little ovals. They are faster to cook than steel cut oats, but take longer to prepare compared to quick oats. Mueslis and granolas are usually made with rolled oats.
- Quick oats – similar to rolled oats, but have been cut before being steamed and flattened. They are even faster to cook, and are generally used in breads and muffins. Nutritionally, they are very similar to rolled oats. They are digested more quickly, though, and may not keep you as full for a long time.
- Instant oats – These cook the fastest, because they have been rolled very thinly. While they are more convenient than other oats, you’ll often find them with added flavors and salt. They also lose much of their nutritional content because of the excessive processing they have undergone.
- Oat bran – made from the outer layer of the oat kernel. Oat bran is very high in fiber and can be eaten as a hot cereal, or sprinkled on cold cereal. It’s also great way to naturally boost the fiber content of baked goods.