How to Make Oatmeal That You Will Actually Want to Eat

Growing up I loved those Quaker instant oatmeal packets! Maple and Brown Sugar, Apple Cinnamon, Strawberries and Cream. So good! I loved to combine flavors- Apple Cinnamon with Maple Brown Sugar is a combination that I’m pretty sure everyone has tried and loves. At around .25 per packet that makes for a quick and affordable breakfast, or late night snack as was often the case for me. And I still don’t think that is a bad choice.

If however, you are looking to level up your oatmeal, adding the fancy stuff not only looks really pretty, it really does make it taste even better. And you can control the ingredients and sugar levels, and save on all of that extra packaging waste, which are big plusses.

So how do you make oatmeal that you actually want to eat? There are a few things that I think are important to consider.

Texture– Do you like your oatmeal on the soupier side? Add more liquid. Wish it were firmer? Try steel cut oats. Even firmer? Try groats!

Flavor– This is where I think that a lot of people trying to “eat healthy” and find their food to be bland go wrong. First and overlooked often- salt. I add a pinch of salt to my oatmeal. Same as I would when making cookies or cakes, salt enhances the other flavors that you add.

I like my oatmeal sweet. I sometimes add a little honey or brown sugar to the pot, but usually I end up dumping in a TON of frozen fruit. I would rather eat my sugar with all of the fiber that nature gave me to go with it. Seriously, add more fruit. Frozen fruit is a great choice because it is picked at peak ripeness and retains so much nutritional content that it is not a compromise over fresh in my house.

Now where flavor and texture combine is with the extras and add ins.

Bananas, chia, sweetened and unsweetened coconut flakes, nuts, nut butter, seeds, cookies, chocolate chips, dried fruit, fresh fruit, spices, protein powder (usually chocolate), coffee powder, and mushroom coffee powder are all go-to’s for me.

And… oatmeal doesn’t leave me hungry an hour later or feeling too heavy and weighed down for yoga or other activities later in the day.

So the short answer is- make what sounds good to you, not what you think oatmeal “should be.” Find inspiration from other dishes or desserts that you like and pull those flavors in. Lemon blueberry, tiramisu, chocolate hazelnut, mango and ginger, oatmeal is a blank slate for any flavor combination that you may like.

What is your favorite oatmeal combination? Want more flavor combinations? Let me know.

-MoveMint Yoga