Now that fall is here, Recycla and her family are once again eating one of their favorite breakfasts: Oatmeal.
Ahhhhhh…
A bowl of oatmeal is a warm, nutritious breakfast that tastes good and gives any Eco Warrior enough energy to battle even the most dastardly Hummer owner.
When Recycla says oatmeal, she doesn’t mean one of those single serving packets of oats, sugar, and artificial ingredients. Oh no. Oatmeal in Recycla’s home comes in an 18 ounce cardboard container so that there’s less packaging waste and the cardboard can be recycled later. And why buy something that’s flavored already when you can so easily add your own special ingredients, such as fresh or dried fruit, nuts, and any number of spices?
Recycla’s personal favorite is to cook her oatmeal with skim milk and then mix in raisins, cinnamon, and a tiny dollop of maple syrup. To shake things up, some days she’ll add chopped apples, unsalted almonds, and a tiny splash of local honey to her oatmeal. Yum!
Oatmeal has a number of health benefits, including the ability to lower one’s cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease. Even better, quick oats take only a minute to prepare in the microwave. Best of all, oatmeal is inexpensive, so Eco Warriors don’t need to spend a lot of money on a breakfast that has staying power and will stick with them all morning.
Some weekend morning, when you have more time to dally over breakfast, Recycla suggests you try steel-cut oats (a.k.a. Irish oatmeal). Irish oatmeal takes about 20-30 minutes to cook, but the result is a chunkier, nuttier, more flavorful oatmeal that will keep you full for hours. Stir in some dates, maybe some walnuts, and enjoy.
What about you Eco Warriors? How do you like your oatmeal?
Photo credits: Yahoo Images.
Team Testosterone THRIVES on morning oatmeal–it IS inexpensive and they really favor maple syrup and brown sugar on theirs. Yum!
Gah – I can’t do oatmeal. Maybe because I was forced to eat so much of it as a kid – and it was usually the make-a-huge-pot-on-Sunday-eat-it-all-week variety. No matter how much brown sugar and maple syrup I add, I just can’t choke it down. I’m a fruit and yogurt girl no matter what time of year. (Or homemade waffles on Saturday. And eggs and hash on Sunday. *mmmm*)
Jen,
check this out, I’m thinking of ordering…
http://uk.mymuesli.com
Oatmeal is my absolute favorite! All your toppings just makes me want to cook up a bowl right now. A perfect breakfast with a cup of tea.
I like my oatmeal with dried cherries, pecans and honey. Then, I pour a bit of soymilk over it. Yum!
I’m a runner and, on a cold, winter morning before a long run, there’s nothing better. Lots of complex carbs to provide fuel.
I’ve got my cardboard cylinder full of oatmeal, but I keep refilling it with additional supplies bought in the bulk foods section.