Mornings in our house are a bit of a zoo, what with two surgeons having to be in the O.R. before 8am and two elementary school students who suddenly decide that their chosen outfit is no longer good enough – three minutes before they need to head out the door (ahh, the drama of girls). So it’s not a shocker that breakfast for the grown-ups often needs to be made ASAP, superfly fast. That’s why I was so happy to find a breakfast idea from a nutrition program that lets you make a great breakfast in absolutely minimal time!
Oats get a lot of great press for lowering cholesterol and having lots of fiber. But these benefits really only come from oats that are not super-processed, i.e., not instant oats in a packet. “Real” oats are called steel cut or Irish oats and can be found in any health food store, and maybe even some groceries. But they take 20-30 minutes to cook, otherwise it feels like you’re grinding down your teeth with little pebbles.
So here’s the trick: the night before, combine your oats and water and bring to a boil (you can do this while you’re cooking dinner). As soon as the water boils, cover the pot and take it off the heat. Now leave it on the stovetop overnight. In the morning, put the pot back over heat and bring it to a boil. As soon as it boils (about two minutes), take it off the heat, add some protein powder, Splenda or stevia or whatever other flavorings float your boat and voila! Nearly instant oatmeal with all the benefits of whole oats.
Which reminds me: another trick I’ve learned is that protein powder tends to gum up into little balls if you add it immediately to something super hot (like coffee). Wait until the oats are a little cooled off, then add the protein about a 1/3 of a scoop at a time instead of all at once, stirring after each addition. That way, the protein melts into the food instead of glomming up into unattractive, unappetizing blobs.
20. January 2010 at 2:09 pm
sounds like a good idea. we will haved to try it
20. January 2010 at 7:16 pm
Thanks for checking in Martha! Let us know of any tips you might have.
27. January 2010 at 12:09 pm
Hi! I’m having my lap-band done Feb 10 – and I’m sooo excited! I started my liquid diet today, so this oats recipe won’t work for me, but in the past (in a much unhealthier recipe) I’ve put steel-cut oats in a crockpot overnight. You wake up to breakfast ready to go, and a house that smells like heaven! Don’t know if it would work for this recipe, but you may give it a shot – it would save you from having to reheat them in the am!
9. February 2010 at 8:36 am
Congratulations Amy,
I’m still waiting and looking forward to when I can say, “I’m starting my liquid diet tomorrow.”
11. February 2010 at 12:18 am
We wish you luck Dana. Keep in contact with your surgeon’s office and don’t forget to bug the insurance company yourself!
2. June 2010 at 10:01 am
On my third week and i love oatmeal for breakfast, it’s really quick to fix before you get the kids off to school.
28. June 2010 at 9:51 pm
Thanks for the note!
13. July 2010 at 9:48 pm
I have eaten instant oatmeal for years for breakfast. All this time I thought I was eating healthy. This is good news I can use. Thank you so much.
13. July 2010 at 10:50 pm
A little clarification is in order here. Unflavored instant oatmeal is not significantly different from regular oatmeal. It is the flavored variety you want to watch out for. Some of the flavored varieties of instant oatmeal have a fair amount of sugar, which is best to avoid.