Oatmeal Makeover! 5 Oatmeal Combinations

I really do enjoy oatmeal. If you're envisioning a bowl of mushy gray overcooked oats covered in sugary additives, you haven't ventured past the world of microwave quick oats packets. With whole grain steel cut oats and stove top cooked oatmeal readily available, give this heart-healthy whole food a second chance.

Enjoy oatmeal with fruits, nuts and seeds.

 

                      Photo courtesy Morguefile.com

 

 

 

 

Plain oatmeal is boring. I agree. That's why I treat this breakfast-regular like a blank slate each morning. I enjoy experimenting with various oatmeal toppings and mix-ins to create new flavors. From fruits and nuts, to seeds and sweeteners, here are five of my favorite oatmeal combinations.

1. Blueberry Pie Oatmeal
Mix fresh washed blueberries, milled flax seed and almond slivers into the oatmeal a minute before it's done. The blueberries will get warm, and the almonds will not get mushy.

2. Sweet and Salty Oatmeal
Sprinkle salted sunflower seed hearts and a drizzle of honey over a fresh hot bowl of oatmeal.

3. Apple Cobbler Oatmeal
Add a fresh apple cut into cubes to the oats while they cook. Then a minute before the oatmeal is done, stir in ground cinnamon, milled flax seed and chopped walnuts.

4. Mixed Berry Oatmeal 

Try folding raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and a sprinkle of powdered stevia into a hot bowl of oatmeal.

5. Strawberry Oatmeal
This simple oatmeal mix-in is 100 times better than the dried strawberries found oatmeal packets. Simply add sliced strawberries and a packet of stevia to the oatmeal while it bubbles and cooks.

So, what's your favorite way to eat oatmeal?
Please share in the comments below!

Until next time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela
Whole Foods Living

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My Secret Cookie Ingredient

In addition to learning about whole foods and their nutritional properties, I enjoy experimenting in the kitchen. And, it's partly out of necessity.

We don't have vegan, vegetarian or whole foods restaurants in my neck of the woods. If you want to avoid processed foods, fried foods or unnecessary calories, you need to get crafty in the kitchen. Luckily, I look forward to my "kitchen time" each day.

My Secret Ingredient: Raw Sugar

Raw Sugar
Photo by Fritzs, Wikimedia Commons

My most recent unexpected discovery is the baking quality of raw sugar. Everyday all-purpose baking sugar gets processed with chemicals to create a pure white, even-textured sweetener. A package of raw sugar contains uneven granules of honey-colored sugar cane. Although raw sugar isn't a true whole food, it's much closer to natural sugar cane than white sugar.

Using Raw Sugar

Sprinkling raw sugar atop a homemade apple pie gives it a rustic look. The oversized sugar granules add a tasty, sweet crunch to the top of blueberry muffin. And my personal favorite: Cookies baked with raw sugar stay thicker than those made with brown or white sugar. If you like a dense chocolate chip cookie, substitute raw sugar in your next batch.

Magically, when I made my first pumpkin pie of the season with raw sugar it turned out perfect. I was unsure if the large granules would melt. Pumpkin pie should have a creamy, smooth filling. The raw sugar didn't let me down.

Although I could sing praises about raw sugar all day long, it's still best enjoyed in moderation. But, if you need a recommendation for a calorie-free sweetener, try my other kitchen buddy, stevia.

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela

Lovin' Limes

Try baking with fresh limes.
Photo by Hotblack, Morguefile.com

One of my favorite summertime flavors is lime. So, what's the first lime-flavored treat that comes to mind? For me, it's always key lime pie.

The tangy, creamy, cool pie somehow melts away the heat, humidity and better part of an afternoon. It isn't a quick pie to make when you're working from scratch.

My local grocery store had limes on sale 12/$1 and I just couldn't resist grabbing a few. Since I didn't have the time or patience to whip up a pie, I had to search for a new use for those limes.

I stumbled across a lime shortbread cookie recipe at the Land O' Lakes website that looked easy and tasty. I whipped up a batch in no time (using unbleached rice flour) and they were fabulous! Since I can't eat healthy all the time, this was a nice little homemade treat.

Next time I'm going to try substituting powdered stevia for the ultra-bad-for-me powdered sugar. What are you favorite lime recipes? I'd love to learn a healthier, yet sweet, lime concoction for the future.

Until Next Time!

Choose Healthy,
Angela

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Please Pass the Stevia

Welcome 2011. After the sugar-rush over indulgence of the holidays, I decided it was time to remind myself about natural sweeteners. Refined white sugar, you are the devil. Please pass the stevia.

What is Stevia?

Stevia powder is derived from Stevia Rebaudiana Bertoni, a plant native to Central and South America. The calorie-free sweetener surpasses the sweetness of refined white sugar by 200 to 300 times, according to the American Dietetic Association.

Using Stevia

I've mixed stevia into hot herbal tea, sprinkled it over cereal and sweetened fresh, raw strawberries with the powder. Since the sweetener packs a powerful punch, I use much less than when I use refined white sugar. One little packet of stevia can sweeten at least three cups of tea. If you're diabetic or looking to shed a few pounds, give stevia a try.

Resources and Suggested Further Reading:

American Dietetic Association: Stevia

United States Department of Agriculture:

Nutritive and Non Nutritive Sweetener Resources

Green Plant: Green Sweeteners Compared:

Stevia, Brown Rice Syrup, Agave Nectar

The World's Healthiest Foods:

Is one type of sweetener better than the other for my body and the way my body processes them?

Until next time,

Choose Healthy!

Angela

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