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Oatmeal: Make a Week of Breakfast in 5 Min

Shared by: Adrian  Courtesy of theKitchn

We are talking about healthy, make-ahead breakfasts during Breakfast Week, and I keep thinking about my all-time favorite: Steel-cut oatmeal. With a little forethought and a few Mason jars, you can make enough steel-cut oats for a whole week in just 5 minutes. The result? Monday through Friday, you have a jar of wholesome oatmeal all ready to go. Pop it in the microwave at work and breakfast is served!

Ingredients
1 2/3 cups steel-cut oats
4 cups water
Large pinch salt

Mix-Ins:
Milk or soy milk 
Cinnamon or other spices
Raisins or other dried fruit
Walnuts or other nuts
Jam 
Honey

Equipment
5 pint-sized Mason jars with lids (I used wide-mouth jars)
Large saucepan
Ladle
Instructions

1. Collect your jars and other equipment. I like pint-sized jars for this as they allow a little more room for adding nuts, raisins, and milk later. But you can also use half-pint jars.

2. Bring the oats, water and salt to a boil. Simmer for about 3 minutes then turn off the heat.

3. Ladle the oats and water into the jars. Cover the jars tightly with their caps and rings. Leave on the counter overnight. (This is how I make my oatmeal and I have had absolutely no problems with it, healthwise, but if for some reason you are not comfortable leaving hot oatmeal out overnight, you can also refrigerate the jars. The oatmeal won’t be quite as well cooked in the morning; it will be a thinner, less creamy oatmeal. But it will still be fine.)

4. The next morning, put all but one of the jars in the refrigerator. Take the cap off one jar and stir up the oatmeal inside. Microwave for 2 to 3 minutes, or until quite hot. Add any milk, raisins, or other mix-ins. Enjoy!

Additional Notes: 
You can also add your raisins, cinnamon, or other mix-ins to the rest of the jars before putting them away in the refrigerator. Then all you have to do is grab one and go on your way out the door.

1 note Comments

FAQ: I noticed that one of the traits Health Foodie! looks for in products is being natural or organic. How come then some posts aren’t?

Great question.  We weigh natural or organic product traits in with all the other traits we look for. So, if a product is natural or organic, but is loaded with sugar, salt, or is otherwise less healthy for you relative to a less “natural” version, we’ll make the call to recommend the nutritionally better choice.

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FAQ: Do people get paid for their posts?  Or do they work for the products that are posted?

Definitely Not!! All the posts are from your independent reviews and comparisons of what’s on the store shelf.

(It is amazing, though, how much marketing you have to cut through to find products that are actually good for you; hence Health Foodie!)

Comments
Special K Protein Plus  {Kellogs}Another scrumptious-and-good-for-you cereal… that’s not a calorie bomb. Low sugar (5g), high protein (10g), high fiber (5g), and 125 calories per cup. Score!

Special K Protein Plus  {Kellogs}
Another scrumptious-and-good-for-you cereal… that’s not a calorie bomb. Low sugar (5g), high protein (10g), high fiber (5g), and 125 calories per cup. Score!
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TIP: Go for the raw

   There’s no doubt that your best, healthiest grocery finds
   are in the produce aisle: fresh fruits & vegetables.  Rich in
   vitamins, fiber to keep you full, and air-like calorie
   concentrations = you win!

P.S. Don’t really get those cravings for fruits or veggies?  Not to worry, they can be an acquired taste.  Start eating them regularly and you’ll come to crave them when their absent—trust me.

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Chewy 25% Less Sugar Granola Bars  {Quaker}Chocolate Chip, Honey Graham, Cookies & Cream, or Peanut Butter ChocolateYou really have to be careful with snack bars; “healthy” and “natural” bars, while high in fiber and protein, can still be chalk full of sugar (to the tune of 14g!) and high in calories. One great alternative are these yummy bars though—only 90 calories each, no high fructose corn syrup, 5g of sugar (not to mention 3g of fiber and 1g of protein).

Chewy 25% Less Sugar Granola Bars  {Quaker}
Chocolate Chip, Honey Graham, Cookies & Cream, or Peanut Butter Chocolate
You really have to be careful with snack bars; “healthy” and “natural” bars, while high in fiber and protein, can still be chalk full of sugar (to the tune of 14g!) and high in calories. One great alternative are these yummy bars though—only 90 calories each, no high fructose corn syrup, 5g of sugar (not to mention 3g of fiber and 1g of protein).
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Popchips Delicious, completely gratifying, and—dare I say it—greasy goodness… but compared to regular potato chips have only half the fat (don’t know how they do it)!  They also has 25% fewer calories while you enjoy 50% more chips (23 vs. 15)!  They come in 10 flavors to suit every craving and are truly indulgence without the evil.

Popchips 
Delicious, completely gratifying, and—dare I say it—greasy goodness… but compared to regular potato chips have only half the fat (don’t know how they do it)!  They also has 25% fewer calories while you enjoy 50% more chips (23 vs. 15)!  They come in 10 flavors to suit every craving and are truly indulgence without the evil.
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Almond Crunch  {Mrs. May’s Naturals}These mouthwatering, toasted almond snacks are completely natural and have just the right touch of sweetness! They also come in the cutest, perfectly bite-sized squares. Just remember to keep your servings in check because as good as nuts are for you, they’re calorie dense as well.

Almond Crunch  {Mrs. May’s Naturals}
These mouthwatering, toasted almond snacks are completely natural and have just the right touch of sweetness! They also come in the cutest, perfectly bite-sized squares. Just remember to keep your servings in check because as good as nuts are for you, they’re calorie dense as well.
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TIP: Mix up your sweeteners. And try agave.

  There’s a lot of debate over which sweetener is best for
  you: table sugar, honey, agave, molasses, stevia, artificial
  sweeteners, etc. And the jury is still out, because each
  choice has their pros and cons. My advice post-research: Eat a mix of agave nectar and honey. If it’s calorie-free you want, make it Stevia. 

I particularly love agave because of its low glycemic index (no blood sugar spikes!), which is especially relevant in today’s food climate given the excessive distribution of blood sugar bombs (high sugar foods). Honey is great because it has additional vitamins and minerals.

(Additional Notes)
+ Relative to honey, agave dissolves easily in everything and doesn’t crystallize. 
+ Both agave and honey have more calories than sugar, but are slightly sweeter.
+ Stevia has no effect on blood sugar and is calorie free. 

Comments
Unsweetened Almondmilk Coconutmilk Blend  {Almond Breeze} So rich and creamy, but less overwhelmingly almond-y tasting with the coconut milk blend. So amazing that this rich drink has only 45 calories a cup…that’s HALF the calories of skim milk, and so much more gratifying! (Dairy, soy, lactose, cholesterol and gluten free).

Unsweetened Almondmilk Coconutmilk Blend  {Almond Breeze}
So rich and creamy, but less overwhelmingly almond-y tasting with the coconut milk blend. So amazing that this rich drink has only 45 calories a cup…that’s HALF the calories of skim milk, and so much more gratifying! (Dairy, soy, lactose, cholesterol and gluten free).
Product HomepageNutrition Facts

Comments
GOLEAN Original  {Kashi}Kashi’s original cereal is by far the healthiest—don’t be tempted by their newly released “Crunch!” and “Crisp!” lines!  The new lines have a lot more sugar and calories, but their original is low in sugar (6g) and sodium (85 mg), and high in protein (13g) and fiber (10g), all in the impressively low 140 calories per cup.

GOLEAN Original  {Kashi}
Kashi’s original cereal is by far the healthiest—don’t be tempted by their newly released “Crunch!” and “Crisp!” lines!  The new lines have a lot more sugar and calories, but their original is low in sugar (6g) and sodium (85 mg), and high in protein (13g) and fiber (10g), all in the impressively low 140 calories per cup.
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Griller’s California Turkey Burger  {MorningStar Farms}With Avocados and TomatoesI love traditional “vegetable” veggie burgers, because usually I think the “burger” flavored ones taste pretty anticlimactic, but I decided to take the leap and reach for these vegetarian turkey burgers I saw for the first time, and they are really good! I couldn’t believe I wasn’t actually eating an awesome turkey burger! The best part? Only 90 calories a burger (that’s less than a “vegetable” veggie burger!) plus 9g of protein and 5g of fiber! Wahoo for healthy eating that’s crave-worthy too.

Griller’s California Turkey Burger  {MorningStar Farms}
With Avocados and Tomatoes
I love traditional “vegetable” veggie burgers, because usually I think the “burger” flavored ones taste pretty anticlimactic, but I decided to take the leap and reach for these vegetarian turkey burgers I saw for the first time, and they are really good! I couldn’t believe I wasn’t actually eating an awesome turkey burger! The best part? Only 90 calories a burger (that’s less than a “vegetable” veggie burger!) plus 9g of protein and 5g of fiber! Wahoo for healthy eating that’s crave-worthy too.
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Reduced Sodium Soup  {Progresso}
in Garden Vegetable, Tomato Parmesan, and Chicken Noodle
Canned soups that are low sodium and light can be a great way to watch your calorie intake and feel very full.  They’ve typically got 200 calories or less total for the whole, generously sized mini-tub of soup, and they’re effortless to prepare in a snap!
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  • Al: This is a great site and resource! I can’t wait to see more updates :)
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LiveActive 2% Cottage Cheese  {Breakstone’s}Probiotics, 3g of fiber, and 10g of protein in the perfect snack size!

LiveActive 2% Cottage Cheese  {Breakstone’s}
Probiotics, 3g of fiber, and 10g of protein in the perfect snack size!
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