Some Great Oatmeal!

I love oatmeal! But, it is very hard to find one that is not full of junk and at the same time will not break the bank with the high cost. Good ol’ Quaker Oats puts out very nice steel cut oats, which are very “clean”, meaning not full of additives, preservatives and artificial colors and flavors. But, who has 25-30 minutes in the morning to cook the stuff?

Unfortunately, their instant oatmeal is full of junk. Shame on Quaker! I have found an excellent instant oatmeal made by Better Oats I thought might interest you. Out of several flavors, I found two that do not have artificial flavors/colors and tons of additives and preservatives. The Organic Bare Instant Oatmeal box comes with 8 pouches and is a little pricey. I can get more pouches of Quaker Oats and even more of Great Value for about the same price. But the cheaper products come with too much junk.

I make the Organic Bare with unsweetened almond milk (for some extra heart healthy fats) and add 1 TBS of 100% pure maple syrup–OMG is it great. If you like to drink your hot cereal on the way to work, just add an extra 1/4 c milk. One serving of the oatmeal itself has 150 cal, 3 gm "good" fat (5%), 75 mg sodium (3%), 4 gm fiber (14%), 28 gm carbs, 6 gm protein. The first ingredient is organic whole grain rolled oats, loaded with clean ingredients, all organic, and several different whole grains. The 1 c unsweetened Silk Almond Milk has 30 cal, 2.5 gm plant fat (3%), 125 gm sodium (5%), <1 gm fiber, 1 gm protein (we only use 1/2 c for this instant oatmeal).

The second flavor that is acceptable is Thick & Hearty Apples & Cinnamon. Again, I make it with the unsweetened almond milk and do not have to add any sweetener. It is sweet enough. One serving of oatmeal itself has 130 cal, 2 gm "good" fat (3%), 170 gm sodium (7%), 3 gm fiber (11%), 26 gm carbs, 3 gm protein and the first ingredient is whole grain rolled oats. It does have a little sugar added. The bonus is a nice pack of vitamins and minerals added to this flavor.

I keep them both in the house for a quick and easy hot cereal. What is very cool about this product, is the little packet in which the serving comes. It has a liquid measurement right on the paper, and it is sturdy enough to measure out the milk without using a measuring cup to wash! Talk about convenience.

When you are buying oatmeal or any hot cereal, beware of high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated fats or oils, artificial flavors or colors, lots of additives and preservatives. Some preservatives are acceptable. Preservatives are the reason the United States has the greatest food supply in the world. But unfortunately, we have taken this a little too far. We may have the greatest food supply, but not the healthiest. Certainly price is an obstacle in some cases. But, when possible, try to choose “cleaner” foods when you are looking for convenience. Of course, we still encourage lots of fresh fruits, veggies and minimally processed whole grains. But convenience is often where we trade quality for speed in preparation.

Since not all of us can eat everything organic or from eco-friendly farms and manufacturing companies, why not start with a couple items that meet at least some of these criteria. If you love oatmeal, maybe this is one to change. Do your investigation first. Read the food label. Check the ingredient list. And, enjoy!