This problem lead me on a quest to find a creative, yet still nutritious way to have my oatmeal. I wanted something that picked up on the satisfying chewiness of the oats without adding a lot of sugar or fat. After searching on the interwebs, I found two interesting options that seemed like what I was looking for.
I started with these pumpkin oatmeal cups from Green Lite Bites. I pretty much followed the recipe, but added cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and allspice instead of the pumpkin pie spice. I tend to go a bit heavy on the spices, because in my house there is no such thing as too much cinnamon. These were delicious and super easy to make. I love all things pumpkin and these are a great mix of oats and pumpkin.
Then I made these baked oatmeal snack bars from Kath Eats Real Food. I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk instead of the regular milk because it was in the house. I also upped the cinnamon (surprise, surprise). I used cranberries, golden raisins and sunflower seeds in mine. These were also very good. The fruit gave them some sweetness, but was not overpowering.
Overall, both recipes were good. I like the oatmeal cups because it makes them really portable. This also makes it easier for me to have my oatmeal in the car on the way to work, which happens more often than it should.
I know oatmeal is a strange food to love. What are some of your unique food favorites?
