Today I’m sharing an oatmeal secret with you that will change the way you feel about plain, unsweetened oatmeal.  My family thinks there is something special and magical about the way I prepare oatmeal.  Psst,  here’s the secret –  I just swap the water with milk.

We keep two or three types of milk in our house on the regular – Lactaid for the lactose intolerant but creamy, sweet milk-loving member (aka me, for my morning coffee), Almond milk for the hubby’s oatmeal and or cereal, and sometimes either oat milk or coconut milk.  I recently made my first batch of home brew nut milk and I’m close to swapping all of them for the homemade nut milks.  For the time being, however, we are each very particular of our types of milk.

We keep a variety of milks in this house – I use a mixture in creamy oatmeal

This is the easiest warm breakfast in history.  Are you ready for the recipe?  2 parts milk to 1 part oatmeal, cinnamon to taste.  That is all!  For portions, serve about 3/4 cup of cooked oatmeal.  Load up the rest of your breakfast bowl with a variety of fresh fruits – make it colorful and even more nutritious, fiber-ful and filling.

I love my mini colanders for fast and easy washing

We stock up on Costco amounts of organic blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, grapes and bananas.

Occasionally I will defrost some frozen cherries I keep for smoothies for variety, or in reality, when we are out of fresh fruit.  Almonds are a relatively low-fat nut.  Include raw almonds for crunch, flavor, and protein.  Walnuts are another great add-in option.

Having your morning-cooked oats and milk with loads of fruit and nuts not only increases the nutritional value but also makes it more fiber-ful (helps with digestion!) and filling.

My personal all-time favorite morning fruit is blueberries.  I always wash a big bowl of them, have them with breakfast, and then again after my morning fitness class.

Cinnamon is a magical spice – it gives it a yummy, sweet horchata taste.

we keep Costco portions of cinnamon – great for quick flavor and cinnamon

Speaking of horchata, I have been playing with the idea of making this recipe with rice milk.  I had creamy oatmeal for breakfast daily in Cabo this spring.  Although it was probably made with loads of full fat cream, I’d like to believe it was made with rice milk since it tasted so much like horchata.  Stay tuned for recipe testing for horchata rice milk oatmeal.

Slave to the morning routine and no time to cook breakfast?  Not to worry, we’ve got you covered.  Hop on over to the recipe for Banana Overnight Oats!  If your crew craves a warm breakfast, simply remove the metal mason jar lid and warm up the overnight oats in the microwave.  

Yield: 4

Creamy Oatmeal

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Recipe for a creamy, low-fat, homemade oatmeal with no added sugars. Make it with the milk of your choice - easy to convert to vegan and gluten-free. Add berries, bananas, and almonds to make this creamy light oatmeal even more nutritious and filling.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
• 3 cups milk of your choice (unsweetened almond milk or nonfat milk or Lactaid)
• 1/2 pinch of salt
• cinnamon to taste
• splash of vanilla (optional)
• berries (loads!)
• sliced bananas
• raw almonds - sliced, whole or slivered

Instructions

1. Cook the oatmeal and milk(s) in a medium sized saucepan over medium low heat stirring every few minutes for about 5 minutes
2. Reduce to a low simmer and cook until most of the liquid is absorbed, about 5 more minutes
3. Serve in bowls and load up with fruit!
4. Add extra cinnamon if desired

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 264Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 115mgCarbohydrates: 41gFiber: 6gSugar: 7gProtein: 11g