I am very grateful for my grandmother and mother’s advice; that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Today, I have to have my breakfast as a way to jumpstart my day. I cannot go to school on an empty stomach, and what’s more, it is also much easier to be tempted by greasy, fattening breakfast options when we are hungry! I don’t really like to have ‘brunch’, so I’ll try to wake up early (by 10am the latest), to have a leisurely, healthy breakfast.
Having no time for breakfast as an excuse is quite lame. It doesn’t take very long to make a sandwich, or to pour a glass of milk! Breakfast need not be boring, there are so many healthy foods to choose from, from high fiber, low sugar cereals to omelets.
Breakfast is also when I’ll try to get my serving of fruit(s), and the increased fiber intake is the reason why guilt-inducing junk food/snacks are kept at bay as the satiety level is reached by simply having breakfast. If not, it is easy to end up making poor food choices later in the day, which will usually mean additional pounds!
Touted as one of the world’s most nutritious foods today, oats used to be looked down upon by the upper-class of society, as it was deemed as animal feed. It is a large part of a horse’s diet!
My mum got be hooked to eating oats when I was in junior college. Those days, I had to wake up at 5.45am, when it was still dark outside. Dawn has not broken, so it was usually quite chilly in the mornings. A warm bowl of oats would seal the deal, and because my appetite for breakfast used to be quite small, about 5 tablespoons was all I could take, yet it was enough for my concentration to last through mid-morning.
Oats is a great source of wholewheat, which is far more superior than having refined carbs such as white bread. The difference is that eating wholewheat products does not cost a sudden spike in blood sugar level as it has a lower glycemic index (and it is related to our insulin levels in our body) and the slower digestion means keeping us full for a longer period of time.
This humble grain packs a whole host of health benefits. Oats lowers cholesterol, protects our heart from diseases such as stroke, lowers the risk of Type 2 diabetes… you can find more of its health benefits here at World’s Healthiest Foods.
The best thing I love about oats is that it is so simple to make! It only takes 3-5 minutes to cook if you use the quick-cooking kind. But if you are always hard-pressed for time, then having the instant kind (just more hot water) is another way to increase your fiber intake for the day. Personally I don’t really have a preference. Whatever oats is it, I will have!
No prizes for guessing what I have been having for my past mornings!
1) Oats topped with fresh strawberries and one teaspoon of condensed milk. (Almost like strawberries and cream, only healthier!)
2) My ABSOLUTE Favourite: Banana Oats! Half a banana, whipped in oats as it is cooking so the banana gets soft and fluffy as it cooks. I topped this one off with the other half of the banana (not cooked) and cinnamon. The sweetness of the banana gives the oats a comforting flavor. Sometimes I will add almonds/walnuts for that extra crunch.
3) Peanut butter oats. Need I say more? I will add one teaspoon of brown sugar and cinnamon as a treat! Peanut butter is actually healthy food (everything in moderation of course), as it is a source of protein and has good fats; the monosaturated kind which can be also found in avocados.
4) This might be new to some but pumpkin oats actually tastes quite delish! The sweetness of the pumpkin really permeates the entire bowl of oats and the warm orange colour was really pleasing to the eye. (JOAN aka pumpkin lover, this one is for you!) I had to steam the pumpkin beforehand so it was soft enough to be mashed as I added it to the cooked oats.
I added about 3 teaspoons of plain yogurt here. I didn’t mix everything up, because I wouldn’t be able to taste the yogurt that way. What I did was to spoon a bit of yogurt from the side, and spoon some oats before the spoonful disappears into my mouth!
Oh, if you think I use newspapers as placemats, I actually don’t! It’s my daily habit of reading the newspapers while having my breakfast! 
5) And who says oats cannot be a savory dish? Instead of water, I used vegetable stock to boil the oats, but not before I added the chopped carrot and celery, allowing it to soften before adding the oats. I had this for dinner last week, and it is good if you don’t want to have a heavy dinner. It only takes 10-15 minutes at to prepare and cook this, max!
The weird greenish/brown specks are actually basil leaves for that extra aromatic smell and taste!
My eyelids feel sleepy, so over and out! Can’t wait for a bowl of oatmeal tomorrow morning! I think I am going to try making mango oatmeal tomorrow. I will definitely let you know how it goes but seriously, mangoes don’t go wrong! But that would warrant another post altogether.
A special shout-out to my friends: Thank you for supporting my blog! Especially those overseas- hopefully I have inspired you to cook your own meals?!!? Haha!
