Off to School Oatmeal

The school bus will be in front of your driveway soon. And once again, you're at a complete loss as to what to make your kids for breakfast before they head out the door. Most moms agree that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But convenience often trumps nutrition when hectic morning schedules come into play. Many times the very foods moms turn to when in a hurry contain added sugars, artificial flavors and preservatives.


There are some simple changes you can make when it comes to building a better breakfast for your kids. That's why I've come up with a delicious Natural Food Friday recipe for home-made oatmeal that is tasty, wholesome and quick to prepare.

Most of us probably grew up on instant oatmeal or quick-cooking oatmeal, but steel-cut is a nutritional leap above these highly processed varieties. I had not heard of steel-cut oatmeal until I heard Oprah mention it on one of the healthy living episodes with Bob Greene. Then, being the nutrition nut that I am, I made sure to look for it during my next trip to the grocery store.

I made a pot and gave a bowl to my son. At first the chewy texture and lack of sweetness took some getting used to for my son. Adding a drizzle of agave syrup or honey made it more palatable for him and he barely even noticed the difference from the instant stuff. For him - disguise food with a little sweetness and he doesn’t seem to complain - much. I like to add fruit (dried or fresh) along with agave to my oatmeal because it makes the flavor of the oatmeal really pop - plus I can sneak in some extra fiber.

Steel cut oatmeal requires cooking on the stove top and usually takes about 20-25 minutes to cook. Most recipes call for water, but I prefer a creamy consistency, so I substitute half the water for 1% milk or soy milk. As you know, milk scorches very easily, so using milk will require lower cooking temperatures and a watchful eye. But, the richness in flavor and nutritional quality of steel cut oatmeal is worth your extra effort!

Note: You can prepare batches of steel-cut oatmeal ahead of time and store in the refrigerator or freezer for later use. For more on cooking steel-cut oatmeal, visit here.


What you need:


1 cup milk, 1% organic

1 cup water

1 cup quinoa, rinsed

1/4 cup golden raisins

1/4 tsp cinnamon

honey

chopped walnuts



What you need to do:

Bring milk and water to a slow boil over medium heat. Leave uncovered.

Add quinoa.

Reduce heat to maintain a slow, rolling boil. Stir frequently.

Cook quinoa for ~20minutes or until done.

Add raisins and cinnamon.

Turn off heat and cover. Allow combo to rest for 5 minutes.

Spoon into a bowl. Garnish with honey or agave and chopped walnuts.