Oatmeal

We frequently eat oatmeal for breakfast and on the menu it often says simply "oatmeal." However, we never eat it plain. We also never eat it from a packet. Sometimes we eat it cold. Here is what I mean when the menu says "oatmeal." 

We use either steel-cut or "old-fashioned" rolled oats. Quick cooking oats are a lot better for you than a packet or a bowl of boxed cereal, so go that route if it's quick oats versus Lucky Charms. Do skip the packets though. Those are at least as bad as Lucky Charms. One packet of oatmeal has as much sugar as a serving of ice cream. (So does Lucky Charms, by the way. If I'm going to eat that much sugar, I'd rather just have the ice cream.)

Oats improve cardiovascular health, boost the immune system, stabilize blood sugars, and are loaded with vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Steel-cut is the most complex carbohydrate and so has the best blood sugar regulating function of the oats. Rolled oats cook a whole lot faster and are still very gentle on your blood stream, being absorbed slowly so as not to cause a spike in blood sugar (which causes inflammation, which causes all kinds of problems including diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and even depression). Quick oats cook even faster, but perhaps a little too fast. These are absorbed quickly enough by your gut that they can cause a blood sugar spike. Still, if your choice is between quick oats and drive-thru, go with quick oats.

If we remember, we measure out the oats and water (or milk) the night before and put it in the fridge. In the morning, add fixings and cook as usual. I like the microwave for rolled oats, the stove top for steel-cut. Some sources are convinced that all grains should be soaked before consuming. Some say it is unnecessary. I am not in either camp. Since there are people convinced of both, it is likely that there are benefits to both methods. And so, sometimes I soak our oats overnight, and sometimes I do not. If you'd like to research this for yourself, look up "phytates," which is what soaking breaks down.

Oatmeal fixings we add pretty much every time:

• Ground flax seeds 
• fiber, omega-3's, B-vitamins...
• Chia seeds 
• fiber, lots of vitamins, help your body remove toxins...

Fixings we add based on availability and desired flavor:

• Blueberries (we buy loads during the summer and freeze them to use over the winter; last summer we bought and froze 43 pounds while they were in season and cheap)
• cardiovascular health, improved immune health, cancer-fighting properties
• Strawberries (again, we buy bunches while they are cheap and in season and freeze them)
• did you know it only takes about 8 strawberries to get 100% of your daily vitamin C needs? You do not need orange juice, with all of its added sugar. Even if the juice bottle claims "no sugar added," it still contains added sugar. This is a matter of semantics with labeling laws. 
• Bananas 
• B-vitamins, fiber, electrolytes...
• Pumpkin puree 
• fiber, vitamins A and C, cancer-fighting carotenoids...
• Dark chocolate
• minerals, healthy fats, antioxidants...
• Unsweetened, shredded coconut
• stabilizes blood sugar, improved immune health, electrolytes, healthy fats...
• Yogurt (plain! the only ingredients should be milk and live cultures)
• probiotics for so much more than just gut health, protein

I mention some of the health benefits of these add-ons to remind you that your food should be nourishing. Sometimes we need to be reminded why making oatmeal at home is healthier than grabbing drive-thru on your way to work. If you find the nutrition data on real foods motivating, keep reading about them! Just don't get too caught up in eating super-foods. If you are asking yourself whether you should put blueberries or pumpkin in your oatmeal to optimize your antioxidant intake, relax! Both are excellent choices and neither should be eaten exclusively. The bottom line is that all fresh produce is nutritionally superior to anything that comes in a box.