Today's Tip: Are you eating this for breakfast??

Do you eat oatmeal for breakfast?  Good for you!  I have oatmeal very often for breakfast and it can be a solid, healthy option for this very important meal of the day.  Second question...are you eating a version that is actually heavily processed and absolutely TERRIBLE for you?

For example, I was just at the store and took a look at a brand of "heart-healthy" instant oatmeal (their claim), the "Maple and Brown Sugar" flavor.

First, right under the "Maple & Brown Sugar Instant Oatmeal" label it clearly says "ARTIFICIALLY FLAVORED" (their caps, not mine). Second, the "maple" is maple sugar...along with brown sugar and a variety of artificial ingredients, colors, and flavors. Some varieties are also packed with regular sugar, and a few have "flavor" gel packets full of high fructose corn syrup...where's the oatmeal??!

Most instant, flavored oatmeal has significantly higher glycemic indexes than regular "old fashioned oatmeal" due to it's instant nature where it's been pre-cooked via high-heat processing. This high heat processing also robs the oatmeal of many important vitamins and minerals, making it an overall less nutritious product. Boo :(.

So, if you're going to go with oatmeal, consider staying away from the instant, processed, sugar-laden versions, which could actually set your diet BACK instead of being a benefit.

Now what to do?  Let's go through some options...truly the best choice is plain ol' steel cut oats. While they take a few extra minutes to cook, it's certainly worth it for the lower glycemic index, extra fiber, and greater vitamin and mineral content...all while avoiding all that processed - ahem - garbage. Steel cut oats will also leave you feeling fuller, longer, and you'll probably find that you enjoy the more firm texture and nuttier flavor a LOT more than mushy instant oatmeal anyway.  Some stores sell quicker-cooking steel-cut oats which cook in 8-10 minutes.

Other options?  Yes, there are some.  Make a serving of Old Fashioned Oats (you know, the kind in the container with the guy on the front). Since this can be a bit PLAIN tasting, liven it up with some chopped dried apples, cinnamon, vanilla and a little Truvia or pure cane sugar to sweeten.  I love mine with fresh blueberries or blackberries, and these oats take around 5 minutes to cook.

In a hurry?  Okay, sometimes you just need an instant oatmeal!  So here are two options:

1) Look for an instant oatmeal with an ingredient list like this...Whole grain rolled oats, salt, whole grain oat flour, cinnamon, natural flavor.  Or organic rolled oats, organic dried cane syrup, natural flavor, sea salt.  That's it!  Basic ingredients.

2) Make your own instant oatmeal. This is not difficult or very time-consuming and it is not only healthier, but much cheaper too!

Serving Size: 8
3 cups quick-cooking oats
Sea Salt
Pure cane sugar
8 plastic sandwich bags

Put 1 cup oats in a blender or food processor and process at high speed until powdery (this helps make your bowl of oatmeal thicker).  Into each sandwich bag put 1/4 cup unpowdered oats, 2 tablespoons powdered oats, 2-3 teaspoons cane sugar (or to taste) and a scant 1/4 teaspoon salt. To serve, add 3/4-1 cup boiling water (or add the water first and then microwave) and let stand to desired thickness.

Flavor it up!

Apple Cinnamon: To each bag add 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon & 2 tablespoons of chopped dried apples.
Cinnamon Spice: To each bag add 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and a scant 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg.
Cinnamon Raisin: To each bag add 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon & 1-2 tablespoons raisins or craisins.

One other flavor tip - when you add the water to cook your oatmeal packet, add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Don't want to go to the trouble to make the packets?  After processing the oats, throw everything in an airtight container and just scoop out a heaping 1/2 cup of the mixture for a serving.