Oatmeal and Other Fast Breakfasts

Options
hbarnesccs
hbarnesccs Posts: 59 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hey MFP!!

Here's my problem. I want to like oatmeal. I want to like it so much. But the texture just sickens me to think about! How do you guys like your oatmeal? I'm wanting to try new ways or combos, but right now... eh.

I'm a teacher, so my days start very early and end very late. In the past, I have grabbed a much too sugary "protein" shake and chugged it in the car on the way to school, but I want to make a good breakfast a priority. What are some quick but good and healthy breakfasts you enjoy cooking?
«13

Replies

  • hypatiaswan
    hypatiaswan Posts: 9 Member
    Options
    If you get like whole rolled oats from trader joes, the texture is much better. I mean you can taste the individual oat and it isn't all mushie like the highly processed stuff. Much different texture than even like quaker or steel cut - both of which I find too mushie and slimy. I'm also on the go. I pour the oats into a cup, let them soak in hot water for 1 minute, then add almond milk. They are a little al dente. I eat this with a spoon as Im' driving... Then I eat 2 hard boiled eggs and usualy a piece of fruit in the car as well.... I can drive pretty well with my knees and cruise control works well although shifting can sometimes be an issue...
  • jbs2travel
    jbs2travel Posts: 68 Member
    Options
    I drink green smoothies w/protein powder for breakfast. Can even make them the night before if I think I won't have time. If you don't like oatmeal - don't eat oatmeal!
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    Options
    check out budgetbytes.com they have a whole section on breakfast.
  • minizebu
    minizebu Posts: 2,716 Member
    edited April 2015
    Options
    Plain greek yogurt mixed with almonds and sunflower kernels, add a sweetener if you like, like maple syrup or honey and top with fresh berries. It is not complicated. Just throw it all together.

    Edited to add: Scrambled eggs are actually very quick to make. Once you've heated the pan you can have scrambled eggs on your plate within a minute or two. Just be sure to quickly rinse the pan, your plate and fork before heading to work so that you don't have to come home to dishes/utensils with dried on egg.
  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
    Options
    Scramble a couple eggs; once they're almost done throw a couple thin slices of ham and some cheese on top until the cheese melts.

    Toast an english muffin.

    Assemble into a breakfast sandwich.

    Honestly, the longest part is waiting for the english muffin to toast.
  • LifeInAWay
    LifeInAWay Posts: 50 Member
    Options
    An english muffin with a couple of slices of lunch meat and an egg on it is good. And you can do a scrambled egg in the microwave in under a minute. Done and out the door.
  • lporter229
    lporter229 Posts: 4,907 Member
    Options
    Have you ever tried cream of wheat? It's not as chewy as oatmeal (has a smoother texture). You can get it in instant packets like oatmeal. I add a banana, walnuts and maple syrup or honey. My most common quick breakfast is a protein bar and a piece of fruit.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Options
    I'm going to be no help at all because I love the texture of cooked oats. I get extra fat flakes from Bulk Barn, and I regularly make steel cut too. And refrigerator oatmeal. Sometimes I add chia seeds to my refrigerator oatmeal. Which you might not like the texture of either.

    How about make-ahead crustless quiche made in muffin tins and frozen? Grab and go.

    I like @jbs2travel 's suggestion to make your own protein smoothie without the extra sugar. If you like it, work with it!
  • pepperpat64
    pepperpat64 Posts: 423 Member
    Options
    I boil a half dozen eggs on Sunday and have one for breakfast every day. Sometimes I'll add a piece of whole-grain toast. An individual yogurt is also very convenient. A bowl of enriched cereal with some dried fruit is fast and reasonably healthy, as long as you avoid the kinds with a ton of added sugar. There are also some good protein powders which aren't too sugary and have vitamins. I like GNC's Gold Standard Optimum Nutrition. You can also pre-make things like mini-quiches the day before your week starts and just heat one up each morning.

    You must be eating instant oatmeal if you have that reaction. Real oatmeal is awesome, but it certainly isn't quick. Bob's Red Mill Steel-Cut Oats are da bomb!
  • CorlissaEats
    CorlissaEats Posts: 493 Member
    Options
    How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?
    First thing I do when I get up is go make my coffee, and I get a hashbrown patty and turkey sausage in the oven at 400F on a timer for 30 minutes. I spray the hashbrown with a little PAM and salt it and its crispy like I just got a deep fried one from McDonalds. Use parchment paper. I don't flip anything, just wait for the timer and it can go up to 5 min longer if necessary.

    I cant eat eggs, but I know you can also cook them in the oven and they don't require supervision. I used to do millet grits and congee (savory rice porridge) but options that don't need me to stand over the stove and watch are better for my morning. You can also make scrambled egg wraps for a to-go breakfast.
  • hbarnesccs
    hbarnesccs Posts: 59 Member
    Options
    These are all great! Once I delve into the world of protein powders a little more I will look into protein smoothies.

    Can someone explain refrigerator oatmeal to me?
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    edited April 2015
    Options
    If it's a texture thing with oatmeal....I would rank texture like this:
    First place: Steel Cut (or instant steel cut) has a nice almost chewy texture.
    Second Place: Rolled or Old Fashioned...these are steamed and then rolled thick.
    Last place: Instant oats....these are steamed and then rolled thin These are just gluey baby food (yuck).

    If you over cook any of the above....you eventually get the gluey baby food texture. I tried steel cut in a crock pot....nasty. My crock pot must be to hot.

    Because any of the instant, rolled, old fashioned oats are pre-cooked...you can do a cold refrigerated oats recipe too (yogurt, berries, nuts, etc).

    I like to switch up Greek yogurt with berries, Fiber One, and chopped nuts....very filling.
  • 4and20blkbirds
    4and20blkbirds Posts: 6 Member
    Options
    You could try baking something ahead of time. I saw a recipe recently that was breakfast "cookies" with just oats, banana, and some chocolate chips. Something like that might be a more appealing way to get your oats. You can also bake your own granola bars with healthier ingredients than what you would buy.

    You can change the texture of oatmeal to a certain extent by using more or less water. I don't use much at all because I don't like it mushy. Lately, my add-ins are blueberries and almonds, with some plain yogurt on top after I microwave the rest together. I am also partial to almonds, dried cranberries and a bit of brown sugar. Or almonds and fresh apple chunks, which get nice and soft in the microwave. (Yes, I eat almonds often :P)

    And as someone above mentioned, the type of oats you get makes a big difference. Quick oats and instant oats are pretty much always going to be mush. I get "old fashioned" oats, which are the same as rolled oats.
  • hbarnesccs
    hbarnesccs Posts: 59 Member
    Options
    CorlissaEats wrote: »
    How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?

    First thing I do is get my coffee going, too! Hit start on the Keurig before washing my face :) I wake up at 5 and have to be out the door at 6. Ideally, I'd get up at 4:40, but I can never bring myself to do so.

  • CooCooPuff
    CooCooPuff Posts: 4,374 Member
    Options
    http://www.theyummylife.com/Refrigerator_Oatmeal
    Refrigerator oatmeal is just oats, yogurt, milk, and whatever else you want for flavor thrown together and stuck into the fridge at least overnight.
  • CorlissaEats
    CorlissaEats Posts: 493 Member
    Options
    hbarnesccs wrote: »
    CorlissaEats wrote: »
    How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?

    First thing I do is get my coffee going, too! Hit start on the Keurig before washing my face :) I wake up at 5 and have to be out the door at 6. Ideally, I'd get up at 4:40, but I can never bring myself to do so.
    I get up at 6:45 and have to leave to catch my bus by 7:40. If you have an hour, anything in the oven is do-able. If the oven isnt at temp when I put my hashbrown in, I just give it 2 extra minutes.

    Another option is to find a refrigerator bran muffin recipe. It keeps up to 6 weeks and you just bake however fresh muffins you want every day. Not sure if it works with other muffin recipes though...
  • hbarnesccs
    hbarnesccs Posts: 59 Member
    Options
    Also, I've been trying to make my oatmeal with Target's Market Pantry old fashioned oats this past week. I've been making 1 cup with about 3/4 cup water and experimenting with different things in it. I like the taste, but the texture is what's getting me. I guess i need to play around more with the amount of water.

    I wish we had a Trader Joe's in Jackson, but we don't. We have a Whole Foods, but I only treat myself to WF on special occasions. It doesn't quite get along with my teacher salary :)
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Options
    Refrigerator or overnight oatmeal.
    http://www.theyummylife.com/Refrigerator_Oatmeal
    I simply use regular yogurt instead of greek yogurt and milk. I use less oats and more yogurt.
  • CrabNebula
    CrabNebula Posts: 1,119 Member
    Options
    I make egg muffins in the morning or on the weekends, I'll make a batch, freeze, and reheat at work.
  • kristinegift
    kristinegift Posts: 2,406 Member
    edited April 2015
    Options
    Usually I'm eating breakfast while either checking emails in the morning or dashing out the door. On calmer mornings, I'll have peanut butter and granola (bear naked triple berry) OR yogurt and granola (vanilla yogurt and the vanilla fit bear naked granola). On days I'm dashing, I'll eat a Luna protein bar on the bus, though admittedly that keeps me less full than the granola-based breakfast.

    Edit: I discovered on accident that if you forget about your breakfast for a little while, the yogurt softens the granola and makes it taste like a cold, sweet oatmeal (and not in a gross way, haha).

Categories