Oatmeal

Oatmeal with blueberries, banana and cinnamon 

Photo Credit: Jenny 

Oatmeal with strawberries, blueberries, chia seeds, cocoa powder and protein powder

Photo Credit: Jenny 

It's important to start your day with breakfast, so why not fuel your day with something filling, nutrition and packed with fiber and some protein? Oatmeal has so many amazing health benefits and is so tasty!

You can add any healthy combinations with oatmeal as well as unhealthy ones. You do not need brown sugar or sweetener to sweeten up your oatmeal. Rather, adding yogurt and fruit sweetens up the oatmeal just enough. A 1/2 cup of dry rolled oats has 150 calories and five grams of protein. Steel-cut oats has 170 calories per 1/4 cup of uncooked oats. Steel-cut oats also take longer to cook.

Overnight oatmeal:

A popular fad called “overnight oatmeal” also makes your oatmeal delicious and savory but is stored overnight in a closed container. Although I prefer a big, juicy, hot breakfast, you add your oatmeal to a jar with water or milk, then add fruit and a healthy fat such as chia seeds, peanut butter or almonds. Then you store it overnight in the fridge. It still tastes great, and looks beautiful especially in a jar.

Hot Oatmeal: Make your breakfast between 250-450 calories

1. It is important to cook the oatmeal in a pan or in the microwave, so the oatmeal will puff up. If cooking it on the stove, put the oatmeal into small pan on medium heat for five minutes at least with a little more water than the amount of oatmeal you are cooking with.
2. Mix flavored protein powder or egg whites and a choice of fruit of ½ banana, strawberries, blueberries, apples, peaches or all.
3. Mix cinnamon or cocoa powder in with your oatmeal (optional). 
4. Add dairy (optional). Yogurt goes really well with oatmeal. I commonly use non-fat Greek yogurt.
5. Add peanut butter, almonds, chia seeds, nut butter or almond butter (optional).

Read more about oatmeal at http://nutritionandmindfulness.blogspot.com