Frugal Foodie: The Many Benefits of Eating a Bowl of Oatmeal Every Morning

My favorite seeds to top my oatmeal. Here the fruit is apple.

I eat oatmeal every morning…well, almost every morning. The exceptions are when it is 75 degrees at 7 in the morning. It is then that I switch over to eating a bowl of granola with fruit and nuts. Otherwise, I eat a bowl of oatmeal with fruit and nuts every morning. This combination packs a nutritious punch.

You can see here a collection of photos I’ve been taking of various fruits and nuts I combine with my stovetop cooked oatmeal. I was inspired to finally write a post, after seeing the oatmeal recipe in the new EWG Guide: Good Food on a Tight Budget.

Though not pictured here, my favorite nut toppings are walnuts, almonds and pistachios. The fruits are strawberry, mango and kiwi.

Why I Eat Oatmeal with Fruits and Nuts Everyday

It is a balanced meal
It is so affordable
Combined with my exercise regimen of running and gardening (simultaneously would be quite a feat), it helps my waistline stay trim
Packs an energy punch. I feel a difference in energy when I don’t have it for breakfast
I am full until lunchtime
Keeps me regular, if you follow

Don’t take my word for it. The research is out there.

Here are just a few links:

The Health Benefits of Eating Oatmeal Everyday
The Health Benefits of Eating Fruit
The Health Benefits of Eating Nuts and Seeds (check out the info specific to Walnuts, Almonds and Pistachios)

My recipe is adapted from Deborah Madison’s, Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. This makes enough for two or three morning’s worth:

Boil 1.5 cups water in a small saucepan
Add .5 or 1 cup of rolled oats (depending on what consistency you like it – mushy or not)
Lower heat to simmer for 5 minutes uncovered, then
Cover pan and simmer for another 5 minutes or until oats have absorbed water and are cooked

For a microwaveable recipe using rolled oats, see the oatmeal recipe on the EWG Guide: Good Food on a Tight Budget.

(Important Note: Instant oatmeal from packets does not give you the same benefits as making it from rolled oats. It has added sugar, salt and chemicals.)

The fruit here are strawberry and peach. Though not pictured here, I love this combined with pistachios.

So, start off your day right with a bowl of oatmeal, fruit and nuts and enjoy the benefits of increased energy and a fit and trim, stronger and healthier you.

Your health is your wealth-

~Aimee, TFF