Many Americans are trying to lose weight. There are many ways to begin this journey – getting on a system like Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers, using a method like Atkins, etc. But the best place to start, of course, is by getting plenty of exercise and eating a well-rounded diet of real food.
A great place to start is with oatmeal. It’s a readily-available whole food, and has even been demonstrated to lower cholesterol levels. (I don’t buy into the notion that cholesterol causes heart disease – though that’s a whole other post – but many looking to lose weight are also seeking to lower their cholesterol.) Now, I’m not trying to lose weight or lower my cholesterol, but I do try to eat a whole foods diet, and I find breakfast to be a tricky meal. (Not because there aren’t many healthy breakfast foods, but because most of them take more time and attention than I am prepared to give straight out of bed.) Oatmeal is a great, quick, easy, healthy option. Problem is, I have always hated oatmeal.
It isn’t the flavor; it’s the texture. So I was thrilled when I read in a very old back-issue of a magazine about a “new” method for cooking oatmeal that doesn’t leave it slimy! I tried it, and it works for me. 🙂 The trick is no stirring. So here you go, edible oatmeal:
Edible Oatmeal
Ingredients
- about half as much oatmeal as you want to end up with
- a tad less than twice as much water as oatmeal
- a tiny bit of salt opt.
Instructions
- Put the salt in the water and bring it to a rolling boil.
- Add the oatmeal all at once and do not stir. If a few flakes stay on top of the water, just gently push them under.
- Cover the pot and remove it from the heat. Let it stand for about 15 minutes, until the water is absorbed, and it is ready to eat. 🙂
You can top this however you like. I usually add a little butter, milk, and sliced almonds
so I have some fat and added protein with it, and a bit of cinnamon and just enough honey to
keep the cinnamon from being bitter. If we have it, sometimes I will add grated apple or
sliced banana. My daughter likes hers with applesauce mixed in.
I’m a big oatmeal fan, preferring thick rolled oats. My favorite way to prepare it is:
0.5 c. oats
1.5 c. water
cover and heat in a saucepan over medium heat. Watch that is doesn’t boil over. This takes about 10 minutes. But usually, once it hits a boil, I take it off and eat it. Plain.
Another great way to eat oatmeal is without cooking at all. Mix dry rolled oats with milk or yogurt, add some fruit and/or nuts and enjoy your whole foods muesli. If you prefer, you can soak the oats in milk for a longer time.
Steel cut oats are a very different texture, soak overnight or for 4 hours, cook until tender not mushy. Add rye, spelt, kamut flakes, in smaller portions, and water, cook on low, until they soften, and evaporate water so not mushy. Add raisins, coconut, stir occasionally, add any nutrients desired, flax, hemp, nuts, seeds etc. Eat with yogurt, preserved fruit from last summer, oat or rice milk.