A healthy breakfast just got a whole lot better

As a diabetic I try to watch what I eat, not as often as I should but when I can.  Each morning I usually eat a hot bowl of oatmeal to get me going as it's healthy and the trick is to make it taste good without compromising the healthy benefits of it.  No chocolate syrup for my oatmeal in other words.  The way I usually fix my oatmeal is simple, I start with an envelope of Quaker Instant Oatmeal, sprinkle cinnamon on top, pour in a modest amount of Mrs. Butterworth's Sugar-Free maple syrup and then add a dash of water.  Microwave that for a minute and instant healthy, hot breakfast.  The syrup gives it a nice maple, buttery flavor which coupled with the cinnamon makes it taste pretty decent.  This has served me well for years and it's a good way to start the day.  Today I was making the oatmeal as I've done thousands of times before and decided to try something a little bit different.  The trick is to not add anything terribly unhealthy so after I pulled my hot, steamy bowl of oatmeal out of the microwave I added a teaspoon of creamy peanut butter.  Oh my God, the peanut butter turned my normal breakfast into a gourmet's delight!  The peanut butter in such a small quantity didn't adversely affect the health benefits and the additional flavor in the oatmeal was wonderful.  This has nothing to do with mobile tech but it's a big deal to me so I'm sharing it anyway.  Anybody got any other good ideas to make my oatmeal special?

Comments

[Peter]

It'll compromise the hell out of any health benefits, but I find that a can of turkey gravy will make ANYTHING taste better. If its really bland, then upgrade to beef gravy. Now thats good eatin! (and its only pennies a serving)

"My name is Dave Letterman and I'm not wearing pants!"

[TheHeadlessHorseman]

Pumpkin!!!

I would also suggest upgrading your oatmeal intake by switching over to steel-cut oats. It's WAY better. Cook up the oats a crockpot on low setting overnight, and when you arrive in the kitchen in the morning it will perk you up better than any cup of coffee.

At least once a week my family throws together a batch of steel-cut oats with a little water and milk, a can of pumpkin (like you'd use for pie), some honey or brown sugar, and whatever pumpkin pie spices you like: cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, etc. Proper recipes are all over the web.

In summary, switch to steel-cut oats. Favorite add-in: pumpkin. You can also go with whatever dried fruits you like.

[Hawk665]

As the other commenter said you have to switch to the steel-cut oats--they have way more nutritional value as they are not rolled and steamed to death--they have much more of a nutty flavor and you may not even need the peanut butter

[James Kendrick]

Ah but the convenience of instant oats can't be overstated. I'm the only one in my household who eats oatmeal so the single serving is the best way for me to go.

Somehow the thought of turkey gravy on my oatmeal makes my stomach roll.

[Matt Propst]

Make the hot oatmeal as you normally do, Then add in dry grape nuts cereal. The Grape Nuts adds a new crunchy texture to the hot cereal. That would have to be my favorite way to have oatmeal. It certainly helps it seem less bland.

[Genghis Khent]

Hi JK. I think it is cool that you share this with us. Sort of makes us part of the extended family. But to show how your blog has affected me, when I read your post, I wondered if the oatmeal would be better if it was Core 2 Duo. Take care.

[Bob]

I like adding some dried cherries, along with a teaspoon of Splenda brown sugar blend. The Splenda blend is half Splenda and half brown sugar, so you'll probably want to stick with the sugar-free syrup.

We use the old-fashioned Quaker Oats in our house but I'll allow you to go with the instant and the others to go with the steel-cut oats.

Just say no to turkey gravy on oatmeal.

[John in Norway]

I usually have honey or marmalade with my oats, however, I find the battery life tends to suffer a bit. I love peanut butter though so I'm trying that tomorrow.

[gorkon]

I say add raisins. I love Oatmeal Raisin Cookies and throwing a few raisins in there tast good! :D

Also, I just saw a brown sugar substitute at the store. I wanted to get some, but decided to wait and see if Walmart had it. It's not brown sugar blended with splenda. It's different.

[AllanCJ]

Another oats fan! That's amazing.

Generally I have mine neat, but a bit of stewed fruit always goes nicely. So, if you've got some apples, plums or whatever that are past their best and which you don't fancy eating, stew them with a tiny amount of water (so they don't stick to the bottom of the pan). If it's plums you're stewing, put in a bit of chopped ginger (and brown sugar, if it's not against doctor's orders).

A spoon of that in oats, or with ice cream, is a treat.

[ChangBM]

One more vote for Honey or Marmalade! I never tried maple syrup with mine so next time I have it, I'll give it a try. Thanks!

[Mike Cane]

Quaker Oats must die!! They discontinued my favorite crunchy oatmeal bars and instead put out these "Sweet & Salty" abominations which taste like road kill.

[Tony]

I often mix mine with apple juice and cinnamon. The peanut butter ideas sounds good. I'll have to try that too.

[Julie Strietelmeier]

Hi James! I'm also a big advocate of steel cut oats. I have them 6 out of 7 mornings. And yes, you can fix single servings. That's all I ever do. I actually mix steel cut oats and 10 grain (both Bob's Red Mill brand cereals) cereal together. For a single serving, you just take 1/4 cup of the dry cereal, add 3/4 cup of water, nuke on high power for about 60-90 seconds or until it's starting to boil. Then I switch to the lowest power setting and nuke for about 4 minutes. Once it's cooked, I add one packet of Splenda, sprinkle a healthy dose of cinnamon (also good for regulating blood sugar levels) and walnuts for protein. I have been eating this stuff for the past 3 years since I also learned that I am a diabetic. Give it a try, you'll never go back to regular oatmeal :o)

[PJ]

I've been eating cereal for a while and maybe I should try some of those oat meals you guys are talking about for a change. I've changed my diet drastically to improve my cholesterol level from eating pretty hardy breakfast, no lunch, and HUGE dinner to eating cereal in the morning, salad for lunch and chick/turkey with salad for dinner. I won't know if my cholesterol level improved for another couple of months but I've lost about 10 lbs, which was a sweet surprise for me because I wasn't really planning to lose weight. Still, eatin same cereal for weeks after weeks gets real old and I've been wanting to try something different.. Oat meal might be the answer.

[Srini]

JK,

I have the same quaker oatmeal in the morning. However, instead of a small tablespoon of peanut butter, i add a tablespoon of honey. It tastes awesome. I will will try to peanut butter option tomorrow..

--Srini

[Hoot G]

You mean you COOK oats? My favorite breakfast growing up was Quaker Oats out of the box, add milk and sugar (like Cheerios) and have at it. The oatmeal expands in your stomach, and you get a "full" feeling without eating a lot food.

Also, what about Malt'OMeal?

[Z]

I do the identical breakfast every morning too including the cinnamon, except I haven't tried the syrup or peanut butter. I usually add a dozen fresh blueberries or a couple cut up strawberries. The boiling water heats them nicely.

[Ryan North]

I have been eating oatmeal with peanut butter for breakfast for years. Sometime I try almond butter or walnut butter if I can find it. I don't like the instant oats I think that they taste weird. I boil water in the microwave when I wake up and add it to the oatmeal and peanut butter. When I get back to the kitchen from my shower it is the right temperature and consistency.

[Ryan North]

I have been eating oatmeal with peanut butter for breakfast for years. Sometime I try almond butter or walnut butter if I can find it. I don't like the instant oats I think that they taste weird. I boil water in the microwave when I wake up and add it to the oatmeal and peanut butter. When I get back to the kitchen from my shower it is the right temperature and consistency.

[Alan Striegel]

I think the sugar-free maple syrups taste terrible.

Instead of that syrup, try Mapleine. It's a very concentrated artificial maple flavoring, so you won't need very much of it.

[Andrew Beery]

I'm also a diabetic so I know were you are coming from here... Try the oatmeal with the peanutbutter but add a couple of teaspoons of dried currants and some shaved almonds... makes a nice trailmix type of crunch and the currants like blueberrys are good for controlling blood sugar levels -- just don't over do them

[desilva]

Get some flax seeds and grind them in a coffee grinder. Add a teaspoon to your cooked oatmeal. Flax seeds have great nutritional value, and help lower cholesterol.

[Philip Ferris]

I go for a spoonful of Greek honey and a sliced banana.

[Matilda]

This is going to sound really weird, but humor me and try it. Add some pureed pumpkin to your original mix - yes, the stuff of pie fame.

[Matilda]

This is going to sound really weird, but humor me and try it. Add some pureed pumpkin to your original mix - yes, the stuff of pie fame.

[Geekraver]

I go for one of the following combos, which are almost entirely healthy:

Base: organic instant oats (typically plain, blueberry or flax; something with low sugar)

Mixin1: defrosted frozen berry mix

Mixin2: a teaspoon of brown rice syrup (complex carbohydrate sweetener), a couple of crushed walnuts, and a sprinkle of cinnamon

I'm quite a snacker; with Mixin2 I find I can easily make it all the way to lunch with no need to snack.

[John in Norway]

After reading all these posts I've got an urge to poor oats and milk and honey over Nigella Lawson and lick it all off!
If only ...

[James Kendrick]

You guys all convinced me, especially Julie since I respect her tech choices. :) Today I went to the store and picked up some steel cut oats, dried organic cranberries and dried tropical fruit mix. I ate a light lunch and this afternoon I tested this all out.

I used 1/4 cup of the oats, 3/4 cup of water, one packet of Splenda and a small ration of the cranberries. I nuked that on high for 90 seconds, then added some cinnamon, then nuked it on low for another 2 minutes. Mmmmmmm. Talk about delightful! You guys rock!

[Geoff]

Chopped bananas and honey :-)

[Sbtablet]

I like steel cut oats in the microwave, but my kids like rolled. I use the old fashioned oats. For a large serving, I use 1/2 cup oatmeal and cup water in a tall sided bowl to keep it from boiling over (more likely than with steel cut.)

You can also use a tiny pat of butter both for flavor and to help prevent boil-over. It breaks the surface tension and makes it harder for the oatmeal to foam.

I like cinnamon, dried cherries, or raisins, or walnuts, or almonds, or a combo. Microwave on high two minutes, let it stand a bit. I serve with Splenda or sugar-free syrup or brown sugar & milk. Quick, yummy, easy.

By all means, give up the crappy stuff in the envelope. Too many unpronounceable additives to be really good for you.

Blessings!

[James Kendrick]

This morning it's steel cut oats, Splenda, dried mixed tropical fruit and cinnamon. Yummmmm....

[nomo]

You might consider using Agave nectar instead of Splenda or other artificial products. Agave is a natural sweetener with a low glycemic index. Ask your doctor if it fits within your dietary requirements.

If you feel like experimenting there are other ancient grains such as amaranth and quinoa that provide a tasty alternative to traditional breakfast cereals. Both are available in the bulk aisle at Whole Foods. Most hot cereals can be prepared on a stovetop by boiling water and then simmering the grains over low heat for about 15 minutes.

As another alternative, add a pinch of nutmeg instead of or in addition to cinnamon.

Almonds and other nuts provide an easy yet filling option for breakfast or a mid-day snack. Ideally, soak the almonds in water before you go to bed and enjoy the next day. Soaking makes the nuts easier to digest and improves the nutritional value.

[James]

James,

Not to get you down...

But we just had a lecture in med school about the adverse effects of artificial sugars (such as splenda; or those in diet soda). They essentially mimic the effect of a large dose of sugar on glucose absorption in the gut; in other words, you might be absorbing more glucose from the meal covered in splenda (glucose from the meal, not the splenda) than a meal w/o. Just food for thought.

[Griffy]

Agree with most everybody above. Steel cut oats have a lower glycemic index than instant oatmeal. If you are a diabetic, you should avoid the instant stuff since it raises your blood sugar more rapidly than regular oatmeal (or steel-cut). Larger surface area = quicker cooking = faster absorption.