when clothes and/or shoe shopping, brand name matters because that signifies quality. the same goes for grocery shopping. however, some items taste the same all across the board from generic to top shelf. oatmeal is one of those items. from Quaker to Great Value to the bulk bins at HEB and WF, an oat is an oat to me.
i eat oatmeal for breakfast often for reasons i’ll explain below. here’s how i make mine.
err’ day oats
the stuff:
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1 packet all natural stevia
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp real vanilla extract
do this:
as soon as the water and milk begin to boil, add in the oats and vanilla.
turn the heat down as low as it will go, put the top on your pot, and set your timer for 10 min.
since i have to blend everything for my son these days, i have grown to love eating my oatmeal this way and will prolly continue to do so! i put the stevia and cinnamon into the blender, then add the entire pot of slightly cooled oats.
i blend away until creamy, about 30 seconds.
here’s where you can get creative. try adding peanut butter, nutella, canned pumpkin, maple syrup, nuts, fruit etc,. i have added prunes before (yeah, we stay regular in this house)- however, you should cook them in with the oats so that they can soften a little first. i’ve also skipped the stevia and added a banana for sweetness instead. or, you could just top it with some fresh fruit of your choice.
you forgot avocado was a fruit too, didn’t you:) anyway, when sugar enters your bloodstream, your body stops burning fat, and diverts its attention to burning off the sugar. the more sugar you consume, the less fat you burn.
so, you should start your day with oatmeal because:
- low calorie (130-150)
- low fat (3g)
- fibrous(4g),
- protein (5g)
- heart healthy
- enhances your immune system
- keeps you feeling full longer; hearty
and it tastes really, really good.
i usually buy whatever fruit is on sale, but i normally do blueberries because i like the combo of tart and sweet. pick a good one!
le
what what do you put in or on your oats? do tell below!
I always use the blender for my oatmeal shakes, but next time I will use the blended flour to cook up my classic bowl! Thanks for sharing Leah!
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certainly, Ivy! and mmm, an oatmeal shake sounds DELICIOUS. do share that recipe please!
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Question 🙂 So if you aren’t blending the oatmeal do you just cook it all on the stove? LOVE your blogging!!
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hi, LeAnn! before i went blender crazy, i used to cook the oats as normal with the vanilla and salt. then, i’d remove them from the heat, put the oats in a bowl, and sprinkle everything on top before stirring it all together. thanks a million and enjoy those oats!!
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I will try but i need to purchase some real vanilla and the only oatmeal i have is the instant kind and i think it only has 3g of fiber, I am getting ripped off by 1 gram of fiber.
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lol, La Saunta!!! forreal though, purchase some real oatmeal along with that real vanilla girl! the only advantage instant has over whole oats is well, convenience/time. it’s worth it to whip out that pot.
per Quaker:
instant ingredients– WHOLE GRAIN ROLLED OATS, OAT FLOUR, CALCIUM CARBONATE, SALT, GUAR GUM, CARAMEL COLOR, REDUCED IRON, VITAMIN A PALMITATE.
whole oats ingredients– 100% NATURAL WHOLE GRAIN QUAKER QUALITY ROLLED OATS.
and then when you get into the flavored varieties, it gets worse.
peaches and cream ingredients– WHOLE GRAIN ROLLED OATS, SUGAR, CREAMING AGENT (MALTODEXTRIN, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN OIL**, CORN SYRUP SOLIDS, WHEY, SODIUM CASEINATE, SUGAR, DIPOTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, ARTIFICIAL COLOR, SALT, SOY LECITHIN, ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR), FLAVORED AND COLORED FRUIT PIECES (DEHYDRATED APPLES [TREATED WITH SODIUM SULFITE TO PROMOTE COLOR RETENTION], ARTIFICIAL PEACH FLAVOR, CITRIC ACID, ANNATTO COLOR), SALT, CALCIUM CARBONATE, GUAR GUM, OAT FLOUR, ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, NIACINAMIDE*, REDUCED IRON, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE*, RIBOFLAVIN*, THIAMIN MONONITRATE*, FOLIC ACID*.
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I make my oatmeal the same way without the vanilla!! Definitely adding it tomorrow!!
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it makes a huge flavor difference to me, Shabreka! enjoy!!
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I love oatmeal in the mornings! I normally use plain Quaker oatmeal and add strawberries/blueberries, flax seed and a few crushed almonds or walnuts. Good stuff!
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YES!!! you are ON it, April! especially with your flax seed! very good stuff:)
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thanks leah i guess ill head to the store and get the old fashion oatmeal lol, i just dont have time to cook it usually in the mornings…
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make it the night before, dear!! but WAIT til the morning to add the brown sugar and cinnamon. pop it in the microwave and mix!
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OMG I’m so glad I’ve found your blog and Instagram. I’m so tired of eating bland, tasteless food! Because I don’t like what I have to eat, I usually cheat waaaaaay more often than I am eating right. Keep it up!!!!
~@melikescookies on IG 😉
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your IG profile pic popped RIGHT in my head when i saw your signature! i know EXACTLY who you are! thank you so much for coming to check out my lil’ ol’ blog, girlie!! i do think you’ll find a few things you will love 🙂
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Hi, I found your site by accident (don’t believe in them!). Thanks for the recipes. But more…you are doing a great job of making not only fitness, but marriage and parenting look great. Keep up the great work! -D
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David… i appreciate you taking the time to leave this encouraging message, wow. you are so welcome for the recipes, man!
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I’m loving your blog! So, if I don’t want to blend the oats but want to add the bananas as a sweetener instead of the stevia, do I just mash it up first then add it to the pot while the oats are still cooking or when it’s done and in the bowl?
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awesome! i’m so glad you stopped by, Katie 😉 . if i don’t blend the oats then i cut up the banana and add it (along with the sweetener) to the oatmeal when it’s done and in the bowl, yep. let me know how you like it!
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