Cooler weather inspires a lot of us to bring out the oats for breakfast. But don’t stop there…
Oats have a whole lot going for them. They’re a whole grain that tastes delicious, cooks quickly, is very affordable, and has many applications in the culinary world. The problem is that most of us have labeled oats as a hot breakfast cereal. Period. It’s time to shake off the label and broaden your view of oats. You will be amazed.
7 Ways to Enjoy Oats
- Oatmeal as a hot breakfast cereal. Old fashioned oats and Quick oats are identical in their high quality nutrition yet they vary in texture and cooking time. Choose your favorite of the two and stock it in your pantry all the time.
- Oatmeal as a make-ahead breakfast cereal. Overnight oats is typically a concoction of oats, yogurt, and fruit that sits overnight in the fridge, covered, and is a time saver in the morning. Some like eating it cold and others heat it up for breakfast.
- Oatmeal in your smoothie. It´s easy to add whole grain nutrition to a homemade smoothie. Start by whirling dry oats in your blender and then add the wet ingredients you love like spinach, frozen fruit, kefir, yogurt, or juice.
- Baked oatmeal. Recipes are easy to find for this type of hearty, cut from a pan and eat with a fork oat meal. Well suited to a leisurely weekend breakfast, brunch, or light dinner, there are endless ways to flavor a baked oatmeal with ingredients such as nuts, fruit, or solid packed pumpkin from a can.
- Oatmeal in a meatloaf. Instead of bread crumbs, substitute dry oats to add a boost of whole grain nutrition.
- Oatmeal in the topping of a fruit crisp. Add the pleasing texture of oats as a primary ingredient of your fruit crisp topping.
- Oatmeal in a cookie recipe. Try substituting half the flour in your homemade cookie recipe with oat flour you make in the blender from dry oats. The flavor of your recipe will not change, but the nutrition will for the better. BTW, you can also reduce the sugar ingredient by half in most cookie recipes and they will still turn out fine.
4 Resources to Learn More about Whole Grains
Whole grains tend to be confusing for a lot of people. Where to find them in the grocery store can be a challenge and then which ones to choose and how to cook them can be tough to figure out. Here are some previous blogs that will help clear things up:
- Whole Grains Month. Read it here.
- 3 Ways to Make Every Meal Good for Your Heart. Read it here.
- 3 Things Everyone Can Do for a Healthier Gut. Read it here.
- Grocery Shopping 101: Whole Grains. Read it here.
Moving into the Future with More Whole Grains
Three-a-day is a smart approach with whole grains. Each day, plan to eat one whole grain with each of your three meals and you’ll be taking a step to healthy nutrition. Remember to vary your choices of whole grains, too. For a good start with whole grains and other foods of high nutritional quality, take advantage of this free Mediterranean Meals and Recipes ebook download. You’ll be so glad you did.