The intimidating land of oatmeal

Oatmeal is a REALLY awesome thing to eat. It's healthy and is a great breakfast and snack option. But... if you are like me, the choices of oatmeal and how to make it and the different varieties...scare me. There is SO much to choose from AND I'm used to this:

Peaches and cream being my favorite lol. But in reality, this stuff is not the healthiest option and I was looking at the ingredients on the box the other day... and when I can't pronounce half the stuff on there, I get a little worried. SO this leads me to my oatmeal lesson. I wanted to learn more about it and I figured... why not share?

Know your oats:

1.Instant oatmeal is typically packaged in envelopes with sweeteners, flavorings and other additives. It takes almost no cook time, just the addition of hot water. This is the most processed oatmeal and tends to have more calories (due to added sugars) per serving than unprocessed oatmeal. It also tends to be lower in fiber.

2. Quick oats are processed to remove the outer bran for faster cooking. Less processed than instant oatmeal, these take minimal cook time (between 1 and 5 minutes).

3. Old-fashioned or "thick" oats are steamed and rolled flat. These oats take about 10-12 minutes to cook on the stovetop. They're higher in fiber and slightly less processed than quick oats.

4. Steel-cut or "Irish" oats are minimally processed and retain all the inherent fiber and vitamins of whole oats, but take longer (about 25 minutes) to cook. Unlike the flat oats or instant oats you're probably used to seeing, steel-cut oats are round in shape.

Now from this list.. which one is the best option? 

Always try and go for Steel-cut oats. This option is minimally processed and retains most of the "good stuff" that we need!

So lesson of the day: Stay away from peaches and cream oatmeal and anything else that is in a package. It is VERY processed and your not getting the nutritional value you should be getting. The best options: Old fashioned and steel-cut. You can take these oats and add tons of things to them to make delicious oatmeal! 

Here's a ton of recipe ideas. Most add fruit or something extra to spice it up a little bit. Let's face it, plain oatmeal is ultra boring! 

2 Tbsp dried cranberries, 1 Tbsp toasted pistachios, 1 tsp sugar (115 calories)

2 Tbsp raisins, 1 Tbsp chopped pecans, 1 tsp sugar (125 calories)

2 Tbsp dried cherries, 1 Tbsp chopped almonds, 1 tsp sugar (115 calories)

1/4 cup blueberries, 1 Tbsp chopped walnuts, dash of cinnamon (70 calories)

1/2 cup diced apple, 2 Tbsp dried cranberries (90 calories)

1/2 cup diced pears and 2 Tbsp dried cherries (100 calories)

1 Tbsp Nutella (chocolate-hazelnut spread), 1/2 a banana, sliced (150 calories)

1 cup diced apple, 2 Tbsp raisins, sprinkle of cinnamon (140 calories)

1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, 1 Tbsp maple syrup,1 Tbsp chopped toasted walnuts (140 calories)

1/2 cup diced apple, 1 Tbsp raisins, 1 Tbsp peanut butter (165 calories)

1 Tbsp honey, 2 Tbsp raisins, 1 Tbsp chopped walnuts (175 calories)

1 Tbsp honey, 1 Tbsp peanut butter (160 calories)

1/2 sliced banana, 1 Tbsp peanut butter (145 calories)

1/2 cup sliced peaches, 1.5 tsp. brown sugar, 1 Tbsp sliced almonds, dash of vanilla extract (120 calories)

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce, dash of cinnamon (35 Calories)

1/4 cup apple butter, dash of cinnamon and allspice (or pumpkin-pie spice), 1 Tbsp dried cranberries or cherries (170 calories)

1/2 cup sliced fresh or frozen strawberries, 1 Tbsp sliced almonds, dash of almond extract (75 calories)

3 Tbsp of your favorite fruit spread or preserves (80 Calories)

1 Tbsp dry-roasted peanuts, 1 Tbsp raisins, 1 Tbsp mini chocolate chips (150 calories)

1 Tbsp chopped dried banana chips, 1 Tbsp dry-roasted peanuts, 1 Tbsp raisins (120 calories)

1 Tbsp dried cranberries, 1 Tbsp raisins, 1 Tbsp chopped pecans (130 calories)

Italian oatmeal: 1/3 cup part-skim ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup diced tomatoes (125 calories)