Nutritioulicious Oatmeal

I love oatmeal for breakfast. As soon as the cold weather hits, I am all about warm, comforting foods, and oatmeal is definitely one of them. When I was younger, I didn’t have the healthiest diet and I ate sugary packets of oatmeal (my fave: Maple & Brown Sugar). As I got older and started to enjoy the natural flavor of foods (I definitely have a sweet tooth, so it was no easy feat!), I began to like plain oatmeal with some fruit, cinnamon, and a touch of brown sugar — not too sweet, but just enough to give it some flavor.

I’m sure you’ve heard about the nutritional benefits of oatmeal — it’s a whole grain, good source of soluble fiber, helps lower cholesterol, keeps you full and satisfied, and maintains your blood sugar levels. To increase the nutritional value of my oatmeal, I make it with skim milk so I get a dose of calcium and protein. Here’s the bowl of oatmeal I ate for breakfast yesterday:

Nutritioulicious Oatmeal
Serves 1

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup dry quick-cooking oats
• 1 cup nonfat milk
• 2 tablespoons dried cranberries (can use fresh fruit if on hand)
• sprinkling of cinnamon sugar

Directions:

1. Combine oats and milk in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for about 1 minute. Remove from microwave, stir, and continue heating for another 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Remove and stir again.
2. Top with cranberries and a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar (or cinnamon and brown sugar)

Nutrition Facts: 283 calories, 13 g protein, 51 g carbohydrates, 5 g fiber, 3.5 g fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 129 mg sodium, 505 mg calcium

Do you like oatmeal? How do you prepare it?