You know it’s good for your and it’s quick and inexpensive to prepare in the morning. What is it? It’s a piping, hot bowl of oatmeal!
While many people think this healthy grain is boring, it doesn’t have to be. Why not turn your boring oatmeal into a delicious gourmet treat by adding some quick and easy additions to your morning bowl of oatmeal.
Here are some ideas for jazzing up that ordinary bowl of oatmeal:
1. Vary the type of milk you put on your oatmeal in the morning. You can choose from cow’s milk, goat milk, soy milk, almond milk, rice, milk and for an interesting variation, add some chocolate milk to you oatmeal. It’ll taste like you’re eating dessert rather than breakfast.
2. Try adding a spoonful of some type of butter such as peanut butter, almond butter, hazelnut butter, or tahini. It even tastes good to add a small amount of regular dairy based butter to your oatmeal. Just don’t go overboard with this. You don’t want to make your morning oatmeal too high in fat.
3. Have you tried jellys or jams in your morning oatmeal? Try adding a spoonful of grape, strawberry, or blackberry jam or jelly to your oatmeal for a sweet and delicious treat. Don’t forget about apple butter and apple sauce! It taste delicious mixed with your oatmeal.
4. Flavored yogurt stirred into oatmeal can be a healthy and tasty additive. Plus, you’ll get additional calcium and vitamins from the yogurt.
5. Are you trying to build muscle? Add a scoopful of whey protein or cottage cheese to your oatmeal for an extra protein boost.
6. There are numerous fruits that taste delicious blended with oatmeal including strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, sliced banana, and raspberries. Don’t forget about dried fruits such as dried pineapple, bananas, and apples. They also add a nice touch of sweetness.
7. Nuts taste delicious in your morning oatmeal! I like walnuts and pecancs the best, but any nut should taste fairly good. For an interesting variation, try using maple glazed nuts.
8. Try a little maple syrup in your oatmeal. This gives it a rich sweet taste. If you don’t want the added sugar, use one of the sugar free maple syrups that are easy to find these days.
9. One of my favorites things to add to oatmeal are coffee syrups. They come in a variety of flavors in both regular and sugar free version. These coffee syrups are made by such companies as Monin, DaVinci, and Oscar and can sometimes be purchased by the bottle at some of your local coffee stores. Try a little hazelnut, coconut, almond, or raspberry syrup in your morning oatmeal for a delicious treat.
10. Add some dry cereal. A little dry cereal on top of your oatmeal adds texture and crunch. With all the cereals on the market, you have lots of choices. Granola is a good choice.
11. For added health benefits, add a few teaspoons of flaxseed or wheat germ to your oatmeal.
As you can see your healthy bowl of early morning oatmeal doesn’t have to be boring! You can try a different gourmet oatmeal every morning. You may even start to look forward to it!
