I've been playing around with this oatmeal idea for a few weeks. I tried quick, instant and rolled (old fashioned) oats and honestly, I liked the rolled best. They only take a few minutes more to prepare and the texture is much better, in my opinion. Plus they seem to fill me up longer.
Nutritionally, instant, rolled and even steel cut oats are identical. However the less the oats are processed the lower the glycemic index, which means they absorb slower into your bloodstream. A lot of people recommend steel cut oats and I get it, I really do. I'm just not there YET. 🙂 Consider this my graduation from instant to rolled. Maybe by the end of the year I'll take to the leap to Steel Cut. Remember... it's a journey. 🙂
I did make this for myself and the toddler declared he didn't like it on sight alone. I then got him to try a bite and he said it was good so I'll give this the toddler approved mark but I'm not quite sure I'd get him to eat a whole serving yet.
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup (40g) Old Fashioned (Rolled) Oats
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼-1/2 teaspoon stevia based on taste (equivalent in sweetener of your choice)
- ½ cup frozen blueberries (about 75g)
Instructions
Bring water to a boil in a medium sized pot. Add the oats, cinnamon and stevia. Reduce to medium heat and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the frozen blueberries. Raise the heat back to high and bring to a boil (about another minute cooking time) while stirring to defrost the blueberries.
Remove from heat and serve!
📖 Recipe
Old Fashioned Blueberry Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup 40g Old Fashioned (Rolled) Oats
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼-½ teaspoon stevia based on taste equivalent in sweetener of your choice
- ½ cup frozen blueberries about 75g
Instructions
- Bring water to a boil in a medium sized pot. Add the oats, cinnamon and stevia. Reduce to medium heat and cook for 5 minutes.1 cup water, ½ cup 40g Old Fashioned (Rolled) Oats, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼-½ teaspoon stevia based on taste
- Add the frozen blueberries. Raise the heat back to high and bring to a boil (about another minute cooking time) while stirring to defrost the blueberries.½ cup frozen blueberries
- Remove from heat and serve!
lauramich
@Sandra—I always make my oatmeal with milk (skim or 1%). Adds calories, yes, but also adds protein and calcium—and satiety.
I recently tried making oatmeal with water and serving with a dollop of Greek yogurt. I think I need to play with that more.
I also agree with Ron that blueberries and almonds make a great combo. Lately my breakfast has been Kashi GoLean and yogurt mixed with blueberries and almonds.
Last winter I discovered Bob's Red Mill High-Fiber cereal, with 10 grams of fiber per serving plus 20% of the RDA for iron (and 150 calories). I make it with milk, canned pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, and a splash of maple syrup.
Ron
Sandra-
I've been enjoying a breakfast very similar to this for a couple months ago. I include the rolled oats and the blueberries but use 1/2 cup of vanilla yogurt and a handful of raw almonds that have been crushed with a meat tenderizing hammer. I get my protein and don't need any additional sweetener. Strawberry yogurt, I have found, works pretty well too.
Lexi
Just made this recipe today, and I have to say...yum!!! This recipe was so good and SO filling! I added just a splash of vanilla to it and used fresh blueberries, but there's not much difference between fresh and frozen 😛
Thanks so much for providing us with a yummy, healthy oatmeal recipe! I think I may be eating oatmeal for breakfast every morning now 😀
Rebecca
I first tried this about a month ago and have had it every day since. I am not kidding. I put a tablespoon of flaxseed meal in mine and sweeten with a spoonful of sugar-free maple syrup. I bought a giant bag of frozen blueberries (and a giant container of oats) at Costco, but I have also tried mixed berries instead, which were awesome. SO much more satisfying than the packets. I'll never go back! Thanks, Roni!
roni
lol I did. Thanks. I REALLY need an editor! 🙂
lg
"the toddler declared he didn’t like it on site alone"
i think you meant "on sight alone"
hehe
roni
Peanut Butter! 🙂
sandra
this looks amazing!! i have an oatmeal question for anyone though- how do you add more protein to your oatmeal? (without adding powder). for me, I need a LOT of protein for something to keep me full. i love oatmeal but it never lasts for me. any ideas out there?
Yasmine
I love steel cuts oats. I get at the bulk section in my local natural food store. I cook it the night before and flavor it with different kinds of things in the morning, fresh berries, bananas, apples, almonds, pecans, raisins or sprinkle some homemade granola or some wheat germs. The options are endless! plus steel cut oats are supposed to be best for you since they have not been as processed.
roni
darya - I totally agree! What I meant by nutritional identical was the calories, fat, fiber, etc.
And I hear you on the packets! I'll never buy them. I'd rather go plain and flavor myself!
kyree90
Looks delicious! Can't wait to try it.
Kasia
Great recipe, Great site!!!
Found you not long ago and just can't get enough of your site 🙂
Annette
I love berries in my oatmeal 🙂 It's kind of a comfort food for me.
Jennifer
Inspired by KathEats, I eat oatmeal every day! I like The Silver Plate boxed kind if I am going to need to microwave it, but I do Old Fashioned oats on the stovetop most days, no matter how crunched for time I am. Blueberries are my choice topping, too! Here's what I do:
1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup milk
little less than 1/2 cup water
Dump all three at the same time into a small pot over high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly when boil achieved for approximately 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Add:
Generous cinnamon
Splash vanilla extract
1/2 tsp brown sugar
Blueberries, sliced almonds, granola, etc. to top
Yummy 🙂 I find that mixing the oats and liquid all at once on the stovetop makes my prep a lot quicker and it doesn't change the way the oats taste, either.
darya
I LOVE this recipe!! Super healthy. One note, however, is that I wouldn't say instant, rolled and steal cut oats are identical nutritionally. The GI issue is a really big deal and greatly effects how your body metabolizes food all day long. Here is study that illustrates how the processing of the grain you eat can impact your metabolism until almost dinner time.
Also, sometimes those packets of instant oatmeal can have weird ingredients in them. Be sure to check the ingredients list. If it is just oats that have had extra holes poked in them, they are far and away better than most breakfast cereals you can eat, but still not as good as rolled or steal cut oats.
I agree with Roni that old-fashioned rolled oats are easiest for a wonderfully healthy breakfast!
patty
I just started making steel cut oatmeal this winter for my husband. He's the oatmeal lover here! They work well in the crock pot, so I set it up at night and he can have it before work, he's up at 4:30 am. This winter we've not only saved money but he's also lost weight eating breakfast at home and brown bagging his lunch. It's been more work for me but worth it in the long run!