Start your day off right with this energizing powerhouse!
“Screw oatmeal.” That was always my thought whenever oatmeal came up. Breakfast of champions? Mush, gruel, slop. I hated it. I didn’t want porridge, I wanted bacon and eggs! Every day! Or, if it had to be a sweet breakfast, make it French toast. When I finished college, I headed out on a month-long camping trip through Canada with friends, who only packed oatmeal for our breakfasts. Thankfully, they brought a whole pantry and peanut butter oatmeal became my new favorite breakfast.
Oats have been eaten for thousands of years, but really flourished as a cereal when the grain came to England, Ireland and Scotland. And once the American Cereal Company got ahold of oats in the late 1800s, its famous fate as a breakfast staple was sealed.
This magic morning breakfast tastes warm, nutty, and slightly sweet, and each spoonful has a slightly different texture. This is classic breakfast comfort food, made all the more delicious by whatever toppings you choose to add.
Is Oatmeal Made in the Microwave Healthy?
One of breakfast’s top power foods, oatmeal is lean, hearty, energizing, and will keep you full all morning. Whole rolled oats are a fantastic source of fiber and other nutrients. Adding milk to oatmeal gives it a rich creaminess, along with more protein and calcium. Dairy not your thing? Use oat, almond, or soy milk to get similar benefits without the lactose. Your toppings are up to you—is it going to be healthy all the way, or dessert-as-breakfast? Choose your own adventure.
Oatmeal in the microwave vs. Stovetop
Cooking has distinct effects on food’s nutrients, and a few studies have shown that cooking oatmeal in the microwave could retain more of its healthy properties. Cooking on the stove takes longer than a microwave, so the loss of nutrients may be higher over the stove in the end.
How to make ahead and store
Cooked oatmeal is best eaten fresh; serve immediately after heating, and don’t leave leftovers. If you do have leftover oatmeal, you can store it in the fridge for a few days. For best results, reheat it in the microwave with a few teaspoons of added liquid.
Serving Suggestions
Oatmeal can be an artist’s canvas. For more ideas on how to turbocharge your morning oats, take a look at Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal, Egg White Oatmeal, Carrot Cake Oatmeal, and Blueberry Cheesecake Oatmeal.
Oats have long been incorporated into cookies and sweets to give a heartier taste to all the sugar. Here are a few outstanding oatmeal-forward treats to check out: Butterscotch Cookies, Oatmeal Cream Pie, Oatmeal Cups, and Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup whole milk or plant-based milk
- Pinch of salt
- Honey or brown sugar as needed
- Optional toppings: fresh fruit, nuts, cinnamon
Instructions
- In a deep microwave-safe bowl, combine the oats, milk, and a pinch of salt.
- Microwave, covered, on high for 2 minutes. If the mixture starts to boil over, pause the microwave, stir, and continue.
- Check the tenderness of the oats and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute longer if needed.
- Remove the oatmeal from the microwave. Stir well and adjust sweetness using honey or sugar.
- Add any optional toppings like fresh fruit, nuts, or cinnamon when serving.
Nutrition Info:
Nutrition information are estimates only and may vary based on the specific brands, ingredients, and portion sizes you use. This data is provided for informational purposes only.
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