As we all know, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. In fact, I'm drinking a cup of coffee and eating a vegan cranberry protein cake as I write this post.
Like so many other kids with working moms, my siblings and I didn't always eat a healthy breakfast--I was a huge fan of Pop Tarts and Toaster Strudel. I don't even remember the last time I ate the recently maligned Froot Loops. But I know processed "food-like substances" (as Michael Pollan calls them) did not have fancy labels or logos to indicate the healthfulness of the product back in the 80s and 90s when I was an adolescent.
You might have read about the Food and Drug Administration cracking down on food labeling programs like Smart Choices, as the New York Times reported on Oct 20. Critics contend that unhealthy foods--such as the high sugar cereal Froot Loops and high fat foods like mayonnaise --can brandish this label, which can be confusing to the public.
Three days after the FDA's announcement, the Smart Choices program released a statement saying it would not promote the label and "voluntarily postpone active operations," in order to comply.
But it can be tough to eat a healthy breakfast (regardless of whether you reach for a conveniently packaged, processed food product or cook your own real food). Even for me, I eventually get tired of eating yogurt and granola with bran flakes. And even though I'm not particularly a fan of instant oatmeal (which is great to store in your desk at work and takes 60 seconds to prepare), I discovered a great recipe for regular "old fashioned" oatmeal that doesn't involve 20 minutes of constant stirring over an open stove. And of course, these oats can be bought in bulk and are almost always much cheaper than individually packaged instant oatmeal.
This comes to us from the Whole Foods Blog (say what you will about CEO John Mackey's stance on health care--I like these recipes!), and I have modified it a bit, as usual. A single serving of John McCann's Steel Cut Irish Oatmeal has 150 calories, 2 g. fat, 26 g. carbs, 4 g. sugar and 0 g. sodium; but remember to add a bit more fat for the milk or honey you might add. Regular instant oatmeal (plain) has about 27 g. of sodium per serving. This kind of oatmeal has a richer, nuttier flavor than instant, and doesn't get that slimy, gross texture that I've found in so many instant varieties.
I use little Pyrex bowls, because I can pop them in the toaster oven. But if you have a microwave you can use a regular ceramic bowl (never heat up plastic in the microwave!) This is a wonderful recipe because you soak the oatmeal overnight, and take it to work with you in the morning, and the prep (in the microwave) takes about the same amount of time as instant oatmeal. If you are like me and have no microwave, but depend on the toaster oven, this takes a bit more time, but it is worth it.
Ingredients:
1/4 c. dry steel cut oats
1/2 c. milk (I use soy or almond, but animal milk works too)
1 t. brown sugar, honey, molasses, or maple syrup
1/4 to 1/2 c. fruit (frozen, dried or fresh works)
If you're using dried fruit, put it in the bowl first to ensure it soaks up as much liquid as possible. Add the oatmeal to the bowl and cover with (soy) milk--you'll need about twice as much milk as oats. Now add the sweetener at your own discretion--I usually add about a teaspoon, and alternate between real maple syrup and brown sugar.
However, I've discovered that if you're using flavored milk substitute (such as vanilla flavored almond milk), you need much less sweetener than you would if you used regular cow or goat milk. The Whole Foods recipe calls for lemon zest and a teaspoon of vanilla extract, but you don't really need it.
Let the mixture soak overnight. In the morning when you get up, check to see if the oatmeal has expanded to rise above the level of the milk. Add a splash of milk if it has. I sometimes add a teeny pat of butter, but skip it if you have cholesterol problems. If you're using frozen fruit, add it to the bowl now.
When you are ready to cook, pop the bowl in the microwave for one minute. Stir, and cook for one more minute. If you're using the toaster oven, cook for 10 minutes on 375 degrees, in an oven-safe container. Cooking times may vary, so you might want to cook for seven minutes, stir and cook for seven more minutes. If you're using fresh fruit, add it now and voila! Healthy oatmeal and YOU control the amount of sugar you use. Now that is a smarter choice.
Enjoy!
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