Bored with Oatmeal

[ee_chick]

I'm trying to eat oatmeal for breakfast most mornings, but I am so bored. How do you keep your oatmeal interesting?

I'm not wild about the prepackaged packets, so I make my own. This week is oatmeal with cranberries, brown sugar and cinnamon. I do a lot of raisins or cranberries, brown sugar, cinnamon, cake spice. I've done overnight oatmeal in the crockpot with apples and cinnamon. What else should I try?

[apoppy]

Fresh blueberries or raspberries

Flax seed -- you can get blueberry flavored flax seed at Trader Joe's

[Hello Kitty]

I just started making it and adding in a muesli mix at the end - maybe like a 1/4 cup, so I get some fruits and nuts in there? Or, sometimes, I boil the water and add half of an overripe banana and cinnamon. I also eat dry, but add in a good amount of unsw. applesauce, and some raisins.

Also, you may want to branch out to other grain hot-cereals: bulgar, ralston, malt-o-meal, flax, etc... There are so many good things besides oats.

[boilermaker]

Are you eating oatmeal to help with breastfeeding? If you need a break from the breakfast cereal, you can use the oatmeal in other things like cookies, cakes, meatloaf, etc. It might give you a nice break for just a week.

As for hot oatmeal itself, I like mine with bananas and walnuts in it. You could also mix in granola for some extra crunch. I bet chocolate chips would be good too.

[Ohana]

I make the old fashioned kind (much better texture) with milk for a bit more richness (and calcium too). To that, I usually just add cinnamon and some brown sugar, but I'm boring that way. I would imagine that with peaches and cherries coming into season, they would be yummy to add.

[Kiley]

I add cinnamon, raisins, walnuts, brown sugar, etc. to mine.

[sea74]

I make these bars (more muffin like) and they are pretty good. It's a weight watchers item. Also, I add flavored apple sauce for more flavor and I also add whole, fresh fruit to it otherwise it's kind of bland:

2 cups uncooked oatmeal
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup fat-free skim milk
2 eggs or 1/2 cup egg beaters
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon

Combine wet ingredients, and add dry ingredients. Bake in a sprayed 8" squaer pan at 350 for 35-45 minutes. Cut into six bars. Keeps well in refrigerator or freezer, tasted great cold or warm. Makes a great take along breakfast. 2 Weight Watcher points per serving (if you use Egg Beaters and Splenda instead of eggs and sugar).

[ee_chick]

Thanks ladies!

I'm not breastfeeding - just trying to avoid some unhealthier breakfast choices. I have a real weakness for crap breakfast foods. I usually eat in the office and oatmeal is portable and doesn't kill my Weight Watchers plan for the day.

apoppy, I had no idea that such a thing as blueberry flavored flax even existed. I'll have to give that a try.

[Janey]

How about sliced banana and a handful of chopped walnuts?

Perhaps changing the oats from rolled to steel cut, or vice versa, might make a difference?

My standard breakfast every day is 1c steel cut oatmeal and 1c (homemade) applesauce with cinnamon, and a latte. I've had this breakfast almost every day for the last 4 weeks, and I'm yet to be bored. I love it. :P

[Asha]

not oatmeal but how about some fresh granola mixed with yogurt

[Amuse Bouche]

1) The best prepackaged oatmeal I've had is Arrowhead Mills, I think with flax seeds. It's lightly sweetened, but not nearly as sweet as the Quaker dreck. I buy it at Whole Foods.

2) Making it with milk instead of water is better.

3) I like a spoonful of peanut or almond butter added. Also good is some salted nuts, like a few almonds. A good combo is salted almonds and TJ's orange flavored cranberries.

4) You could go salty, and add butter, salt and pepper. Lots of pepper. Or experiment with other things like soy sauce or sriracha. Maybe some chives.

5) Other fresh fruit -- especially berries. Blueberries or raspberries are a nice addition. (So are just a few chocolate covered raisins, but you didn't hear it from me).

[scarlett]

It may not be the healthiest option, but ever since I was a kid I've eaten my oatmeal with chocolate chips. I have eaten that every morning for the last 5 years or so.

[artist]

I like Asha's idea of granola with yogurt...only I'd add fruit too! I don't know much about WW, other than my mom is on it, but she says fruit has hardly any points. Fresh fruit I guess is also much much much better for you than fruit juice.

[strwbrygirl]

I add either a spoonful of peanut butter and a dash of cinnamon, or a handful of fresh blueberries. I'll have to try some of these other ideas!

[CarolinaGirl]

The bananas and walnuts sound really good. I know this sounds crazy, but someone else mentioned it too - I sometimes put tamari soy sauce on mine. It's more of a savory than a sweet taste but I think it's very good.

[ee_chick]

I wouldn't have ever thought to go savory, but I'm going to give that a try next week.

I do rotate yogurt and granola in sometimes - it's tasty and I can make my own granola or buy it, so it's easy.

Thanks, ladies. You've all given great ideas!

[eponymous]

I cut up an apple into my oatmeal every night - fairly large pieces, and it really helps when I'm bored with oatmeal, because the taste of the apple is fairly prominent, with a little oatmeal on each spoonful.

[AHammer]

Does anyone put honey in their oatmeal? I never have, but I bought some delish local honey today and am trying to think of ways to use it :) honey + oatmeal sounds good.

[silvergrey]

sea74, I have a yummy recipe similar to yours, modified from a Cooking Light recipe.

Baked Oatmeal

2 cups uncooked quick-cooking oats
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup raisins or other dried fruit--I really like chopped dates
1 tablespoon chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon baking powder
dash cinnamon
1 1/2 cups fat-free milk
1/2 cup applesauce
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 large egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 375°. Combine the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Combine the wet ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Stir well. Pour into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for about 30 minutes. Serve warm.

This is nice for company too because you can assemble it the night before and bake it in the morning.