National Oatmeal Day

This past Saturday, October 29 was National Oatmeal Day so I thought I would do a post on oatmeal.  Oatmeal is something that I have so many mornings that I actually keep a canister of it at work in case I am running late. It is easy to use and so many fun and delicious items can be added to it.

One thing I want to discuss is make sure you are using the Old Fashion oats or steel cut oats. You will find on the ingredients list, just oats.  This way you are not getting added sugar or other chemicals.  Below is a picture of instant oatmeal compared to plain old fashion oats. Do you see a difference?

They are made by the same company but the instant oatmeal has lots more ingredients in it. I will grab these in a pinch but not really often anymore. I actually grabbed this one when I was staying at a hotel in Miami recently and added it to my luggage in case I needed something quick to eat. However if you have time, I recommend using the old fashioned oats. I actually will measure out a cup of these and add it to a snack ziplock. Then add some slivered almonds, stevia, cran-raisins or other ingredients and just grab these when I am walking out the door. You really do not need to cook the old fashion oats, just pour boiling water on top of the oats in a cup or bowl, stir, and then cover for 2 minutes. They will be wonderful. Then you can add apples, or other fruit.

I also like to make mine in the crockpot overnight. Here is a great recipe for Slow Cooked Pumpkin Oatmeal.