Oatmeal for Breakfast

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My son went on a camping trip as part of a counselor-training course. He was amused that some children refused to eat cornflakes because no sugar was available. My son showed them that sugar was the second ingredient, but his friends said you can’t taste it.

Corn is a simple sugar and affects you in the same way that cane sugar does. Israeli researchers recently measured the immediate effect of different foods on heart function, and found only a slight difference between pure sugar and corn flakes.

You can get good quality dried cereals, but they are relatively expensive. Most contain added sugar and other additives. Know what you are paying for, and compare brands.

I rarely buy dried cereal anymore, which is why my son decided to bring home the leftover cornflakes. Prepared cereal just not economical for a large family, when a box of cereal makes a tempting snack andcan disappear overnight. And let’s not talk about the milk, much of which ends up down the drain.

Instead, I buy instant and “whole” oatmeal a kilogram at a time.

Instant oatmeal isn’t precooked, it is just chopped more finely so it cooks faster. Instant oatmeal can be mixed with milk or yogurt and eaten cold with fruit.  My favorite combination, in the early fall, is pomegranate and mango. In the winter we have pears, apples or bananas, and in the summer, peaches, nectarines or apricots. Spring is for strawberries.

If you prefer warm oatmeal, add an equal amount of boiling water. Or add cold water and heat in the microwave for one minute.

Whole oatmeal doesn’t need to be cooked, either. Soak it overnight in orange juice or water and call it muesli. Then add nuts, cinnamon, fruit or sugar in the morning.

Whole oats can be cooked in the microwave, with an equal amount of water or milk, on HIGH for five minutes. Use a large bowl so it won’t boil over, and make enough for two or three meals. You can also prepare oatmeal overnight in the crockpot.

I’ll give more breakfast ideas in another post.

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Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rhruzek/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

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