Oatmeal: Your Healthiest Breakfast Yet

Boost Your oatmeal with these recipes!

Oatmeal's health-food reputation is so solid, you might not think to check the label. But some brands cram in artificial ingredients and sweeteners that displace the heart-smart, waistline-trimming benefits. Luckily, there's an easy solution, or five: Ditch the packets and stir up a bowl of plain oats (any variety; see "Cereal Smackdown," last slide), then try one of these yummy, nutritious combos.

 Strawberries and CreamNo packet comes close to packing the protein, vitamins, antioxidants, and flavor in this combo.

 

Add 1/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon honey, and 1/4 cup sliced strawberries to oatmeal and stir well. Garnish with strawberry halves.

 

PER SERVING: 300 cal, 3.5 g fat (0.5 g sat), 61 g carbs, 25 mg sodium, 6 g fiber, 12 g protein

Oaty Egg Florentine

No need to choose between two morning faves. Eggs and oats collide deliciously for an extra-hearty, protein-filled morning meal.

 

Stir 1/4 cup chopped baby spinach into oatmeal. Top with 1 thin slice of Swiss cheese and 1 large egg, sunny-side up.

 

PER SERVING: 350 cal, 15 g fat (6 g sat), 34 g carbs, 140 mg sodium, 5 g fiber, 18 g protein

 

Each recipe is based on 1/2 cup dry rolled oats, prepared with water. (Or make it with 1/2 cup skim milk for added protein, calcium, and vitamin D, and fewer than 50 extra calories.)  

Maple-Bacon Oatmeal

Turkey bacon has less saturated fat and none of the dangerous nitrites found in most regular bacon, and maple syrup is antioxidant-rich.

 

Cook 2 slices of natural turkey bacon. Mix oatmeal with 2 tablespoons maple syrup, then crumble bacon on top.

 

PER SERVING: 360 cal, 8 g fat (2 g sat), 61 g carbs, 390 mg sodium, 5 g fiber, 11 g protein

Chai Oatmeal

Give oats a germ-fighting kick with a spice blend that combines stomach-soothing ginger with the antibacterial power of honey.

 

Mix oatmeal with a pinch each of ground cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger, and 1/4 cup low-fat milk. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon honey and 2 tablespoons slivered almonds.

 

PER SERVING: 320 cal, 11 g fat (1.5 g sat), 47 g carbs, 30 mg sodium, 8 g fiber, 11 g protein

Cacio e Pepe

Breakfast takes a savory turn when you prepare oats Roman-style with cheese and black pepper.

 

Mix oatmeal with 2 tablespoons shredded pecorino Romano cheese and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Top with 2 teaspoons heart-healthy extra-virgin olive oil.

 

PER SERVING: 330 cal, 16 g fat (4.5 g sat), 35 g carbs, 250 mg sodium, 6 g fiber, 11 g protein

Cereal Smackdown: Steel-Cut vs. Rolled Oats

There's no truth to the popular claim that steel-cut oats are better for you than rolled or quick oats (unless it's an instant variety that's loaded with added sugars and other chemicals). The myth originated from the (not true) notion that processing the whole-grain oat—called a groat—by rolling it or flattening it removes the bran and a lot of the fiber.

 

"All processing methods start with a whole-grain oat and make it smaller, but nothing of nutritional value is added or taken away during that process," says Christine Gerbstadt, M.D., R.D. And that's true regardless of whether the oats have been blade-cut (a.k.a. steel-cut or Irish oats), rolled (old-fashioned oatmeal), flaked (quick-cook oats), or finely flaked (instant oatmeal).

 

Less processing does make steel-cut oats chewier and may slightly dampen the effect the carbs have on your blood sugar, but that effect is slight. The real benefit—cholesterol-lowering, heart-protecting, waistline-shrinking beta-glucan fiber—can be found in any bowl.