So, in my determination to eat healthier, I've decided to give oatmeal another try. Yes, I've tried it before, and blech! So what I'm wondering is, how do you make your oatmeal more appetizing? I need some ideas on what to add to make it taste better. And about the flavored packets of instant oatmeal, is that still considered healthy or is there too much sugar in them?

I took me a long while to overcome that "blecch factor" too.

What helps is:
1. a few Tbsp of raisins cooked into the oatmeal.
2. Honey on top (when finished cooking) or else a Tbsp. of brown sugar cooked in.
3. a teaspoonful of cinnamon cooked in
4. NEVER using the INSTANT variety which comes out more like glue than oats...you should be able to discern separate "groats" with your tongue rather than just a pile of amorphous glop.

With those innoivations I can get it down twice a week.

I took me a long while to overcome that "blecch factor" too.

What helps is:
1. a few Tbsp of raisins cooked into the oatmeal.
2. Honey on top (when finished cooking) or else a Tbsp. of brown sugar cooked in.
3. a teaspoonful of cinnamon cooked in
4. NEVER using the INSTANT variety which comes out more like glue than oats...you should be able to discern separate "groats" with your tongue rather than just a pile of amorphous glop.

With those innoivations I can get it down twice a week.

Thanks for the tips, Lenin :) But, it doesn't sound all that promising when you can only get it down twice a week, LOL. Hmm, I guess twice a week is better than never, right?

i use cinninmon, sometimes brown sugar, cooked apples, slices of banana, strawberrys.... off the top of my head

You could also add nutmeg as well as cinnamon. I sweeten mine with rice milk as a healthier alternative to adding sugar.

I use the instant one by Quaker that says weight control on the box, it has more fiber and protein than regular instant. I get the banana bread or blueberry falvored ones, they are delicious to me and a lot more filling than regular instant. Just my opinion. SweetThing

I also like raisins and brown sugar or Splenda cooked into mine. I also add a little milk.

dried fruit, chooped nuts, half a fruit yoghurt on top, peaches, peaut butter mixed in is my personal favourite :)

Where I grew up (Switzerland) we often use oatmeal in "Musli", and we use it raw. Mix a couple spoons of oatmeal with yogurt, some vut-up fruit and nuts. It's really yummy.

Kathrin

For Me I add Chocolate Chip Mint Or Double Rich Chocolate Flavor Whey protein powder (Optimums Nutrition) and a teasspoon of Olive Oil and now i have a healthy carb with a healthy protein and a healthy fatty acid and the flavored Whey makes it taste good. Some times if i do not feel like cooking or preparing a meal so i'll have this for lunch and/or diinner. Takes 3 minutes to make by microwave....

I despised oatmeal my whole life. Agreed on the "blech." It didn't matter what I put on it, either, healthy stuff or my momma's oatmeal, heavy cream and butter. It just reminded me of sludge.

Until ...

I tried steel-cut oats. They are unbelievably delicious. They remind me of homemade rice pudding.

The only con to these glorious groats are they take a long time to make (about 45 minutes), and for the last half-hour, you pretty much need to stand over the stove and stir them or else they stick.

However, I make a big pot of them on Sunday morning and incorporate a kitchen chore I'd be doing anyway (cleaning out fridge, cupboards or pantry), and they serve as breakfast for DH & I through Friday. Just nuke a scoop in the microwave on weekday mornings with a little milk for a couple minutes, sprinkle two teaspoons of brown sugar on them...yummy.

And they're seriously healthy. You're getting a true whole-grain with these puppies! Not a processed little "flake" that used to be a whole-grain.

i absolutley LOVE to experiment with my food and try new thing and one experiment that ive tried and have been HOOKED on latley is peanut butter mixed in w/ my oatmeal. make oatmeal on the stovetop and after its cooked, take a spoonful of peanut butter and let it melt then mix it all up. afterwards i add lots of cinnoman and some raisins. its reallllly yummy. its kind of like peanut butter oatmeal raisin cookies.

I absolutely LOVE the tast of steel cut oats. I don't like to fiddle with them for so long though.

And the price is EXORBITANT. I don't see why food that is fed to horses has to be packed in fancy can and marked up 5000%.

But as I rare treat I spring for the $5 for a tin.

Yeah, I think we're paying the hefty price for the groovy Irish tin, not the oats. The tins at my store run around $7.00!

I found much cheaper organic steel-cut oats in my grocery aisle over in the exotic flour section. I think they're put out by Bob Mills (I don't have a bag to double-check the name -- I always just put them in my cool tin and chuck the bag).

Anyway, they're right around $2.00 to 3.00 for a big bag that lasts DH & I about four weeks.

My mom has found the Bob Mills (again, I *think* that's the name) at her produce market for $1.79 a bag.

I'm hitting the store today, and I'll double-check the name if you want to try to get your hands on some.

Thank you StenoLady, I am VERY familiar with Bob's Red Mill. I've used their zanthan gum for YEARS and my supermarket carries a pretty wide range of their products. If not there I'll look in WHOLE FOODS in Manhattan...they have EVERYTHING.

I will seek out their steel-cut oats.

Bob's Red Mill, that's it!

They do have different cooking instructions on the back of the bag, different from the can, that is. I personally prefer the cooking instructions on the tin, but I found it interesting there's so many different ways to cook them.

Um, I had my sign on name before I noticed this thread....

You could try your oatmeal in cookie form. If you replace all the fats/sugars/starches in your favorite oatmeal cookie recipe with healthy alternatives (coconut/olive oil, egg whites, stevia/splenda, wheat/soy flour), you could eat them anytime I would imagine. You could use the same recipe and add nuts, dried fruit and seeds (MMM pumpkin, or even flax), lay it coarsly on a baking sheet, and make granola.
If you do not mind sugar, you could even roll up oven-toasted whole oats in melted marshmallows like a rice crisp bar. I have not tried this, but I think it might be good. I am diabetic and cannot eat fruits or sugars, otherwise I might test that recipe myself.

You could try some dried fruit. I use dried cherries and then sprinkle on some Splenda. Sliced banana is good too! :D

Try this very simple way of making it and I think you'll like it. All you need for flavoring is brown sugar and salt...YES SALT! Put as much brown sugar as you want, I usually put two regular size spoons, and a couple shakes of salt. You DO want to be able to taste the salt a little bit. Pour boiling or very hot water on regular oatmeal and your sugar and salt, just enough so that after sitting for about a minute the water is absorbed and the oatmeal is saturated but still a little thick, and after its a good consistancy pour some milk over it and it should be good to go! The reason you want the oatmeal thick with the water is that the milk will eventally also be absorbed with the oatmeal but if you eat if fast enough it stays separated and its not gooey, sticky or sloppy that way. Its delicious, try it and believe me about the salt, you can actually taste both the sugar and the salt at the same time.

This is probably not at all helpful, but I despise oatmeal. There is literally nothing more disgusting to me on the planet.

However, I'm able to eat it. And really, I tried SO many things to make it better, but nothing worked because I just don't like it. I finally decided that I was just going to eat it, no matter what. At first, it took me literally hours to eat a bowl of oatmeal, and I'd gag and feel nauseous the entire time, but eventually I just got used to it and I can now eat it in a few minutes. So, if adding things doesn't work, maybe you just need to force yourself to eat it.

Of course, now that I'm able to eat oatmeal, I don't. I much prefer yogurt or cereal for breakfast.

Ok, you guys will probably BLOCK me but I LOVE OATMEAL!!!!!!! I have a HUGE bowl everyday, and sometimes before bed.... LOVE IT......I think it's the best thing ever invented since the cave man walked upright.....LOL!!!!!

JUST EAT IT......It's good for you.....


Sid

I am going halfway between abigail and sid.
I know oatmeal is good for me and I have it a couple times a week but there is something about anything with a gluey mushy consistency that I find a bit revolting. I must keep telling myself "It's GOOD, it's GOOD."
I have the same problem with my occasional Wheatena-Farina mix. For many years I had great trouble eating mashed potatoes because of the mush factor.

I eat oatmeal daily, I too used to get boared with it until my sister shared her oatmeal recipie with me. I have been hooked ever since.

1/2 cup old fashioned oatmeal, never the instant stuff.

1 1/4 cup of water

a dash of cinnimon, a 2 packets of splenda

then I cook it in the microwave for 2 minutes.

Next I add a low carb/sugar yogert in any flavor and cook it for 3 more minutes.

Last, I add 1 tbsp of natural peanut butter and I slice up a bananna and throw that in ( you can try any fav fruits). Mix it all up and your golden. Its soooo filling. I know it may not sound yummy but believe me it is and its all good for you.

Good Luck!! If you try it let me know what you think

Hi,

I actually do half of the flake kind, and half steel cut. Then add sweetner, raisins, and Grapenut trail mix cereal. Then you get a chewy, crunchy oatmeal. But peanut butter and banana might be good too, I will try it.

Sid

I also use the old fashioned kind you cook for 6 minutes that comes out looking "nutty" definitely not gooey. I use steel cut too sometimes. Much much better. And I am also one who actually like it. I put all kinds of things in it, already mentioned here. I also sprinke in some ground flax seed for extra health benefits. I use a couple spoonfuls in my meatloaf. It gives it "body". It's so versatile, you can do many things with it.

i love oatmeal too, but i have to cook it a particular way. my partner boils the cr.. out of it which is gross. I put 1/3 cup of traditional (not instant) oatmeal in a bowl with 2/3 cup of water and put it in the microwave for 1 and a half minutes. i stir it and then put it back in for another 50 seconds. i put nuts and seeds on mine - pumpkins seeds, almonds, cashews, a bit of dried fruit (raisins and apricots) and enough soy milk to make it not too sticky. the nuts and seeds give it a bit of texture and the dried fruit gives a bit of sweetness - couldn't have it with sugar, too sweet, yukk.

I used to force myself to eat oatmeal. The only way I could eat it was to buy the flavored packets (which are full of sugar). Now I use regular old fashioned oats and add honey and either fresh blueberries or fresh raspberries. If I'm out of them, I add raisins. I cook the oats in water, but add a little soy milk after they are cooked. Also, the fruit or raisins I add after the oats are cooked. I love it this way!!:wave:

In a slow cooker:
1 cup of steel cut oats
4 cups of water
1/4 cup of cream
1/2 cup unsweeten cranberries
Slow cook over night.
You make put sugar, honey, sugar substitue, other spices, play around with the recipe.
ONE cup servings for those on a diet.

I had heard about steel cut oats and picked some up this weekend. I will never go back to the old fashioned oats. The steel cut is so much better, with a little honey, fruit, and soy milk. Yummm:)