Oatmeal Ideas

Oatmeal Variations
Copyright © 2001 by Michelle Jones, editor of Better Budgeting

Having oatmeal for breakfast every morning, or at least a few times a week, is not only good for your heart, but it's good for your wallet too! Oatmeal is rich in soluble fiber and one of the cheapest ways to add healthy foods to your diet. Here are some tips about buying and cooking oatmeal and a few variations to try.

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* You can buy the store brand which usually costs half as much as the national brand and tastes just as good.

* Don't waste your money on the little instant packages, unless they go on sale for a really great price. Usually you will save money by getting the large canister of quick or old fashioned oats.

* The old fashioned oats are the healthier choice, and they can even be cooked in the microwave. My husband's the expert on this, he has it almost every morning.

* Oatmeal is a nutritious addition to cookies and baked goods, adding fiber to an otherwise unhealthy snack. If you have it on hand for breakfast, you're more likely to use it for baking too.

* Here's several different things you can add to your morning oatmeal for an extra tasty flavoring or increased nutritional value...

	Butter
	Brown sugar
	Maple syrup or flavoring
	Other flavored syrups like blueberry or strawberry
	Cinnamon, cinnamon sugar
	Diced apples, bananas, peaches, pears, strawberries
	Milk or cream
	Raisins
	Sliced almonds
	Chopped Pecans
	Protein powder, wheat germ and other health food items I pour ¼ cup of old fashioned oatmeal (uncooked) into a bowl. I top that with ¼ - ½ cup of yogurt. Then I top with chopped apples and raisins. I mix this all together and chow down, it’s quite delicious and yummy too! You can vary the toppings to your liking. Sometimes I use grapes in addition to apples and raisins, or when I’m too lazy to chop up the apples! To keep this recipe frugal, I buy the large 4.5 pound bag of raisins and the 32 oz. container of yogurt.