Oatmeal, as it turns out, is the best thing on earth. Okay, perhaps that's a tiny exaggeration. But the comforting qualities of oatmeal combined with the nutritional benefits are really difficult to ignore.
In fact, if you are not an oatmeal lover, please take heart; this versatile breakfast cereal may be prepared in so many different combinations as to make your taste buds fairly sing with happiness when you find just the right one.
Perhaps you're a straight ahead berry person. Just sprinkle on those berries and watch the cholesterol fall. Or maybe you're a nutty individual who simply must crunch along with her meal and thus, the walnut, the pecan, the peanut will accompany your oatmeal as it wends its way, unobtrusively, without one iota of malice, into your waiting gullet.
My personal favorite these days since I am on a hardcore plan to lower my triglycerides and avoid processed foods is to mix organic peanut butter, almond milk and pecans into my oatmeal concoction. No matter how hungry I am, the fullness and satisfaction I experience after this meal (which can also, of course, be a snack) is unrivaled.
Sweetening can be accomplished with honey, maple syrup or other substitutes for sugar, just try to limit them of course and see if you can't yummy up your porridge with natural ingredients.
Oatmeal is thought to lower cholesterol and even reduce the risk of heart disease. It can help you to maintain your weight by filling you up in a healthy way, being a slow burning carb you will snack less frequently and have more energy.
Also, adding them to your favorite cookie recipes in addition to or even as a replacement for other types of flour can increase the nutritional value of whatever it is you are cooking up.
Please follow this link for some valuable insight into the myriad health benefits of this wondrous breakfast.http://www.mrbreakfast.com/article.asp?articleid=27
Aimee Boyle is a freelance writer and regular contributor to EmpowHER. She teaches special education in CT.