How to make Oatmeal Less.. BLAA

We all know Oatmeal is a great choice for healthy breakfast. It’s a great source of soluble fiber which helps lower cholesterol, manage blood glucose and curb appetite. Personally once Autumn hits I usually make Oatmeal a daily occurrence.

However mid-oatmeal season the taste of oats every morning can get a little ..blaa. So I’m always looking for new ways to jazz up my traditional Oatmeal recipe.(By traditional I mean following the guidelines on the container)

With the help of the blogging community, the ADA and personal experience, I have compiled a list of the best ways to turn Oatmeal into something a little bit more special and little less “card-boardy”.

1. Make voluminous Oatmeal: Add 1/2 cup of Oats to 1.5 cups of water and 1/4 tsp salt. Cook oats on the stove but turn off the heat before all the water is gone. Leave in fridge overnight. In the morning your regular portion of Oats will have increased in volume. You can then reheat and add your favorite toppings. (This trick is from ChocolateCoveredKatie.com- I’ve tried it and it works!)

2. Add Mashed Banana: You can make a regular bowl of Oatmeal creamier and sweeter by adding one mashed banana to the Oatmeal while its cooking on the stove. The banana melts into the oats and gives the Oats a lovely gooey texture.

3. Add Wheat Germ: Wheat germ in opinion is a super-food. It’s the heart of the wheat berry. Its the part of the berry thats taken away in order to make refined white wheat flour. Two tablespoons provides 2grams of fiber and 3grams of protein as well as many vitamins and minerals (B vitamins, Folate, Vitamin E). Its so easy to mix into Oatmeal, so much that you wont even notice the taste difference.

4. Add Natural Sweetness: There is absolutely no need to add raw sugar to Oatmeal. You can easily add a sweet flavor to your breakfast by using spices and extracts such as vanilla, cinnamon, pumpkin spice, peppermint, and ginger. I just bought peppermint extract and plan to add it to my Oatmeal for a more Christmassy breakfast.

5. Get Your Fruit in!: Dried, fresh, pureed..I don’t care. But try and get some sort of fruit into your Oatmeal. If you haven’t added mashed banana then add sliced banana, sliced strawberries or blueberries as a topping. My favorite ways to get fruit in is by adding raisins, pumpkin or banana to my breakfast bowl. These fruits usually go well with the above spices.