If you eat your oatmeal the same way every day, try mixing it up with new ingredients or preparation methods. Fruit, nuts, nut butter, yogurt and sweeteners are common add-ins. You can also go savory with your oatmeal to shake up your breakfast routine. Try veggies, egg whites or cheese for a different take. This option can work well if you're trying to reduce your sugar intake.
You can also change the preparation method. Overnight oats are easy to prep at night so they're ready in the morning. For a basic recipe, combine 1/2 cup of oats, 1/2 cup of milk of your choice and 1/4 cup of yogurt. From there, you can add sweeteners and other mix-ins to flavor it to your taste preferences. Put it in a covered bowl and keep it in the fridge overnight. The oats become soft as they sit in the refrigerator. You can also find recipes for baked oatmeal or oatmeal muffins to prepare ahead of time.
Smoothies offer a versatile breakfast or snack option you can customize to match your preferences. You can add all types of fruits, along with milk, yogurt, juice and sweeteners. Extra add-ins like oats and nut butters help you bulk up your smoothies with certain nutrients. For instance, a scoop of peanut butter adds more protein, while a scoop of oats increases the fiber of the smoothie. The oats blend in well and add more texture to the drink.
It's easy to find a wide range of alternative milk options made from various plant-based items. One popular option is oat milk, which is readily available at the supermarket. You can also make homemade oat milk easily. Oat milk recipes typically involve blending together cold water and oats before straining out the chunks. You can add sweeteners and other ingredients to change the flavor. Drink oat milk plain, pour it over your cereal or add it to any recipe that calls for milk.
You can add oats to breakfast without eating a bowl of oatmeal. Oats blend well into many traditional breakfast foods. Adding it bulks them up and increases their fiber content without changing the basic flavor of the original item. Examples include pancakes, waffles, muffins and sweet breads. You can typically replace some of the flour with oats to avoid messing up the balance of ingredients. If you don't want the chunkiness of oats in the dishes, put them in a food processor for a few seconds to chop them up.
Several desserts incorporate oats into the recipe. You can give yourself a little sweet treat while eating more oats. One popular option is fruit crisp, which uses oats as the base for the crumble on top. You can add oat-based streusel toppings to other treats, such as coffee cake or cupcakes. Oatmeal cookies and oat-based dessert bars are also popular.
If you want something a little healthier, pick up oat-based granola at the store or make your own. You can use it in yogurt parfaits along with fruit to add some crunchy contrast and increase your fiber. Another healthier option is to make oat power balls. These bite-sized snacks typically use oats, nut butter and honey to create a mixture that sticks together. Then, you can add dried fruits, nuts, chocolate chips and other mix-ins to customize the snacks. Roll them into balls and chill them in the refrigerator. They make a quick, easy snack for at home or on the go.
Savory dishes can also get an upgrade with the addition of oats. Since oats don't have a strong flavor, they blend in well with other dishes, and they don't have to go toward the sweet side. You can use oats to extend ground meat and serve as a binder in items such as meatballs and meatloaf. They can take the place of breadcrumbs in many of those recipes. You can blend oats and use them in breading for chicken or pork as well. If you eat a vegetarian diet, add oats to your homemade vegetarian burgers. Blended oats can also work as a thickener in soups and sauces.
You can also use oats with dinner in place of other grains. Serve a side of savory oats instead of risotto, for example. This might seem strange at first, but it could become a favorite side dish and a great way to increase your fiber intake. You can use it in place of barley or rice in soups and similar recipes. Since it's mixed in with other ingredients and the soup broth, you might not notice the swap as much.
