Do It Yourself Microwavable Oatmeal Breakfast (with Sides!)

My grandfather once said that “rich or poor, you can always enjoy a good bowl of oatmeal”.   I recently learned why: although traditionally prepared (not the storebought stuff) oatmeal is ridiculously inexpensive, it’s also extremely good for you!  Moreover, with the advent of the microwave, you can do away with all the pots and pans and prepare yourself a healthy warm breakfast in about the same time it takes you to add milk to miniwheats.  Read on to find out how you can make a scrumptious oatmeal based breakfast that will give you a couple of minutes bliss on those cold winter mornings…

Key facts:

• Estimated time: 1.5 minutes preparation, 3-5 minutes unsupervised cooking
  
• Estimated cost: 0.10$
• Number of meals: 1
• Storage: Make a double batch and have tomorrow's breakfast ready today!
• Health benefits: High in fiber, no preservatives or artificial ingredients

Ingredients:
Required:

• 1/2 cup Quaker Quick oats (we’re not talking instant oatmeal, but pure oats which are designed to cook more quickly)
• ¾ cup water

If desired:

• ½ cup milk, if desired
• 1 tbsp brown sugar, if desired

Preparation:

1.  Add oats and water to a large microwavable container.  A large measuring cup works well. 
   

2. Microwave on high for 2-3 minutes, or until desired consistency is achieved.  Warning: if you have a powerful microwave (recommended but not always possible for students) the mixture may begin to boil, and foam will begin to build up in the container.  This foam is fairly sticky, so make sure you use a large container and you monitor for foaming the first time you microwave the mixture so it doesn’t overflow. 

3. Allow the mixture to cool for two minutes before consuming if you are not planning to add milk.

4. Add brown sugar and milk, if desired.  Mixing these ingredients in is optional.

Variants:
Getting tired of the basic mix?  Try adding cinnamon, vanilla, or raisins for a new flavor…

Recommended Sides:
The main oatmeal course is complimented nicely by a glass of orange juice and a banana or other fruit.  If you add both of these sides, you’ll be well on your way to eating the 5-10 fruits and 2-4 grain products necessary in a healthy diet. 

Health facts (for basic oats recipe, nothing added):
150 calories

3 g fat
     0.5 g saturated fat

27 g carbohydrates
      4 g dietary fiber

5 g protein

10% daily Iron

Cost:
Oats – 0.10, water – free!

Storage:
Double the recipe size and have tomorrow's breakfast ready today!

UniversityAdvice.com Bottom Line:

Pros: It’s was fast, it’s cheap, it has no chemicals or preservatives, and it’s full of fiber.  What’s not to love?

Cons: More familiar branded cereals (e.g., Mini-wheats) are pumped full of lots of artificial products, but some of those products are fortifying minerals.  Thus, if you’re routinely neglecting main food groups, you might not want to eat oats every single day.  However, oats are a particularly rich source of some specific nutrients, so they can certainly play a part in most students’ routine breakfasts.

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