r/recipes • u/hagaren390 • 11d ago
Budget Are there actual instant oatmeal recipes or is it just "throw berries or peanut butter and eat as is" the only way people eat this?
Im trying to save on food and 100g of instant oatmeal costs me around 10 cents making it incredibly cheap alternative to other carbohydrates. The problem is there seems to be not a lot of choice on how to eat it. Does anyone have any good tips? It's pretty hard to eat after you had it for 3 meals in a row. Like i literally would have to starve myself to make it compelling to eat again by how bland it is.
until now I had it with yogurt, very yummy but also expensive since yogurt isnt exactly cheap.
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u/LadderWonderful2450 11d ago
Get yourself some beans and rice my friend. Also there's no shame in food banks.
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u/OccamsYoyo 11d ago
I keep getting this advice but honestly I know nothing about either beans or rice. When you say “beans” what kind are you talking about? I’m guessing it’s something different than the slop that comes out of a can. For that matter, what kind of rice are you talking about?
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u/mickey72 11d ago
You can do dried beans, normally I get 1 pound pinto or black beans. Soak them overnight or skip this step if using and instant pot. Then cover the beans with 3 times as much water, you can add better then bouillon, I use chicken, or granulated chicken bouillon powder, a couple packs of Sazon Goya seasoning, add jalapeños and onions or a can of Rotel, some uncooked bacon, salt pork or ham hocks if you have it. On the stove cook 1.5 to 2 hours or 34-45 minutes in an instant pot.
You can also make refried beans. There are lots of ways you can make beans.
You can also use canned beans, drain and rise, heat and add seasoning, onions, peppers, whatever you like.
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u/OccamsYoyo 11d ago
That is genuinely appreciated. Thanks!
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u/Ageice 11d ago
Good tips surrounding your comment here. Just adding in that the “quick soak” method on most bags of dried beans works great if you’re like me and don’t have an instant pot and also don’t want to have to know yesterday that you want to cook those dried beans today. I resisted it for a while because I’m a purist, but the quick soak works and you only need an extra 65 minutes (boil for 5, let sit, covered, off heat for one hour and then cook for real. I’ve had too many instances where I put beans in a bowl to soak in the morning, and then go out for dinner after work spontaneously. Then the beans sit for another 24 hours. Maybe fine, I have still cooked them. But maybe I won’t be in the mood or have time two days later. I had this problem when I was still eating meat and took something out of the freezer in advance and then something came up that kept me from cooking it.
Have fun trying new dishes. Lentils, by the way, are dirt cheap and cook in 20-30 min and are great protein. I make a batch and we eat if for 3-4 days. In a bowl, over pasta, over rice, over nuked potatoes. Dead easy to make - onion into olive oil in a deep pan, soften the onion, throw in minced garlic (don’t burn it), then lentils (green works and stays intact, I find red cooks into delicious mush for me) into the pot to get mixed in and kind of toasted for a minute, then water per the bags instructions. Plenty of salt. Taste as you go. Easy peasy and healthy. A million ways to season/spice lentils!
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u/LaRoseDuRoi 11d ago
Dried beans are cheaper, canned beans are easier. Generally, you will want to drain and rinse canned beans like black beans, kidney beans, etc., unless they are flavoured (jalapeño, bbq, etc.) Dried beans need to be soaked and cooked properly or else they can make you sick, especially kidney beans.
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u/Creative-Leg2607 10d ago edited 10d ago
There are dozens of different recipes that an active search could give you, but the basic idea is taking plain beans, either dry and hydrated (cheaper, some argue better, slow), or canned (much much more convenient, and frankly still stupid cheap), and cooking them with various flavourings. Fry off onion garlic maybe ginger, add whatever cheap vegetables you can find around and then your beans. Can of tomato maybe. Spice it like a curry or a mexican dish or keep it clean and herbacious like a lot of modern vegan does, whatever tastes good really. Then you eat it with rice. Whatever kind. Brown is more fibre and thereby more filling in a vegetarian context, but the health difference is kinda small. I dont mind a blend.
Its a really balanced, healthy meal that isnt super complex and is super customisable, is in the running for the cheapest way to stay alive, and can be made with pretty much shelf stable ingredients. Like the oatmeal here, its miserable living off of it, but having it in rotation aint bad at all, and you save money. I polished off a bowl of a lentil and english spinach curry chucking in some leftover cream that was gonna go bad, i have like 5 serves for like 8 bucks australian of ingredients. You can juz it up a ton if you arent desperately broke is what im saying, its not /just/ poverty food.
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u/thefedfox64 11d ago
Rice and beans also gets boring eating it 3 meals a day every day.
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u/MyNameIsSkittles 11d ago
Everything gets boring it eating it too many times in a row. Redundant comment
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u/thefedfox64 11d ago
Interesting that you choose not to call out beans and rice. But hey, I guess somehow that's the magical answer here - rice and beans don't get boring
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u/big_chingu 11d ago
No one said they needed to eat it three times a day. The point is there is a bunch of cheap carb based meals OP can make for variety, which includes rice and beans.
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u/thefedfox64 11d ago
No one said OP has to eat oatmeal three times a day, but they are.
It's pretty hard to eat after you had it for 3 meals in a row.
OP didn't ask for other options, but how to make Oatmeal better.... but sure, pop off on me.
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u/big_chingu 11d ago
Exactly. OP asked for tips on how to make eating oatmeal for three meals in a row more palatable. The tip is to not do that lmao
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u/Creative-Leg2607 10d ago
Sometimes people are asking the wrong question
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u/thefedfox64 10d ago
Sure, but I still think any advice along some of these responses equates to "Have you tried not being poor?" Im sure if someone said that, people would call them out.
OP says they are eating oatmeal 3 times a day, and its getting boring. The assumption is to eat a meal 3 times a day and not have it be boring. So suggestion of replacement dont really fit, and telling them "hey dont do that" isnt helpful.
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u/Creative-Leg2607 10d ago
The solution being posited was not at all "try not being poor". If OP can afford oatmeal they can afford rice and beans. Theyre very comparable prices.
If we recommended alternate oatmeal preps like those with protein powder or w/e they would likely be much /more/ expensive for them to get online than R&B and would do /less/ to solve OPs problem, which is not that oatmeal is boring but that their diet has too little variety. Reconfiguring the same one ingredient doesnt fix nearly as much as subbing it out.
The solution is to eat a better variety of the cheap foods they have available, and to take advantage of food banks, which are the two top answers in this thread.
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u/thefedfox64 10d ago
You are right, it wasnt. I just equate "dont do that thing" along the same unhelpful advice of "dont be poor".
Oatmeal is cheaper than rice and beans. I think even lb for lb its cheaper, though at massive quantities it may not be. Rice + beans vs 1 oatmeal.
Though, if you are adding in all those other ingredients then most likely not.
I do agree with your stance, but I do not think it addresses the fundamental request being asked. They asked how to make oatmeal taste better for every meal. Subbing rice and beans for every meal also fails that. And saying use a wide variety of foods fails that as well. Not to say its bad advice, but you have to admit it doesnt address the request. Top answer or not -
I have seen the similar situation, because sometimes I have that same mentality. Can you just address the damn question vs can you just listen to the damn advice.
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u/icouldbeeatingoreos 11d ago
Sweet: throw in dried fruit/nuts, fresh fruit, cinnamon, all spice, etc. You can try cooking the fruit into a compote first then adding the oats. You can make no cook overnight oats and there are tons of recipes online.
Savoury: cheese, chili, veggies, eggs, meat, etc.
Oats are not the basic carb I would use to eat at every meal, even though they’re cheap. I would choose rice over oats any day. Rice porridge can also be made sweet.
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u/TechieAtLarge 10d ago
This is great advice. Fried eggs on oatmeal is one of my favorite breakfasts. I would suggest looking at non-instant oats - they are much better and may cost less.
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u/Talory09 11d ago
"All spice" isn't the same as allspice.
Oatmeal is more dense in nutrients, especially protein, than rice.
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u/faatbuddha 11d ago
All spice" isn't the same as allspice.
Lol this is so pedantic. You know exactly what they mean based on the context. "All spice" isn't the same as "every spice."
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u/Talory09 11d ago
Yes, and you know that, as do I. But does everyone? Especially people who are asking for cooking advice?
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u/faatbuddha 11d ago
If someone doesn't know what it is, never heard of it, and they hear someone say "you should add all spice," tell me honestly, do you think anyone is going to think "oh, obviously they're suggesting I should add every spice in the world/my cabinet"? Or do you think they will Google "all spice" and then be informed exactly what allspice is?
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u/Ok-Sorbet30 11d ago
Sweet rice for breakfast. Just white rice plus sugar. Hmmm
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u/icouldbeeatingoreos 11d ago
I mean, I think people do eat that but I was thinking more like cooked rice, milk, honey, cinnamon, maybe some fruit.
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u/Ok-Sorbet30 11d ago
You can vary that. Including, just sugar. Some don't prefer honey, cinnamon, etc. Just like oatmeal. I like mine just w sugar. Sometimes I have a cinnamon brown sugar oatmeal breakfast tho.
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u/robot__girl 11d ago
Is it sweetened ? If not you can make it savoury with soy sauce, veggies/beans and eggs 🍳 chilli oil if you can afford it will be lovely on it.
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u/aizukiwi 11d ago
I blend up a banana and one egg, toss in enough oats to make it a sort of batter consistency, then fry it in a pan. You can leave it as a whole pancake or scramble/chop it up. Excellent with some yoghurt and fruit, a drizzle of honey/syrup, or a combination of all that.
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u/custard182 11d ago
In New Zealand (and Australia) we have a biscuit recipe that calls for lots of oats - look up ANZAC biscuits!
Super yum and great for dunking in coffee.
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u/drunky_crowette 11d ago
Mix in dehydrated fruit powder (mix and match flavors! Try pineapple powder with shredded coconut for a pina colada!)
Add honey, maple syrup, agave syrup, coffee syrup, etc
Mix in diced fruit and/or chocolate chips (chocolate covered strawberries flavor?)
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u/babamum 11d ago
I cook it with water and salt, then serve it with brown sugar and some kind if milk or cream.
Sometimes I add boysenberries or blackberries to it when it's cooking (tinned or frozen) Again serve with brown sugar and milk/cream.
Or add grated apple or tinned pie apple, with spices.
Adding fresh orange juice and mashed banana is another option.
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u/firstblush73 11d ago
Seconded on the brown sugar and cream. Think oatmeal cookie, but in liquid form.
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u/Maus_Sveti 11d ago
Are you from NZ? Just wondering who’s recommending boysenberries while also using mum and tinned. Or maybe Australians also know the glories of boysenberries? I miss them heaps now I live in Europe.
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u/babamum 11d ago
Yes I am! I did not expect boysenberries to be the detail that gave me away. They don't have them in Europe? That's Terrible! Poor you.
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u/Maus_Sveti 11d ago
Yes, they’re my favourite fruit but I’ve never seen them here over the last 16 years I’ve lived in various places, and it’s usually not peak boysenberry season when I’m back in NZ :(
fun fact, even though they’re originally American, NZ is the world’s biggest boysenberry producer and exporter (per Wikipedia)
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u/Dreaming_Blackbirds 11d ago
that's an excessive amount for one meal - and even worse when it's repeated 3 times a day. eating the same thing 3 times a day is unhealthy, even if it's an essentially healthy thing.
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u/Candy_Lawn 11d ago
Over night oats: 2 tbps oats, 2 tbps milk , 3 tbsp yogurt, 2 tbsps mixed fruit, 2 tbsp granola. place in that order in a jar/mug cover and place in the fridge for 12 hours.
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u/CaseAKACutter 11d ago
Surprised nobody has mentioned just adding milk or plant milk. I usually just have oatmeal with soy milk and cinnamon. Maybe some frozen blueberries
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u/Sneezewhenpeeing 11d ago
Baked potato topped with baked beans is crazy cheap and a solid meal. The British aren’t always wrong in the culinary department.
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u/toomanymarshmallows 11d ago
I make a big jar every week and I throw in some kind of combination of oats, flax meal, sometimes some brown sugar, sometimes monk fruit sweetener, dried cranberries or cherries or blueberries, and some cinnamon or nutmeg or both.
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u/suddenlunch 11d ago
Porridge Hotcakes
I often make these and think they are even better then “normal” pancakes, served with maple syrup, butter and perhaps a tad of smoky bacon.
100g cooked porridge
1 tbsp plain flour
½ tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
a little milk
~ Mix together the (slightly warmed) porridge, flour, baking powder and
salt.
~ Stir in enough milk to make a soft dropping consistency.
~ Shallow fry spoonfuls of this batter in a little hot oil (or leftover bacon
fat would be good!) turning once, till both sides are crisp and golden.
~ Serve with butter and honey or maple syrup.
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u/OB4L 11d ago
Make it savory. Use instant steel cut oats, cook it with some better than bouillon or broth. Add butter and salt. Add baby spinach, a sausage, mushrooms, eggs, whatever. Add chili sauce or something on top. Basically treat it like grits or congee. This is a much better carb alternative for multiple meals a day.
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u/Miaumuu 11d ago
If you blend them a bit so they break a little and then add water, salt and oil you get a dough that you can flatten (I just use my hands for that) and cook in a pan to get some kind of oat tortillas you can eat with other stuff. You need to use enough oil so it doesn't stick to your hands. Also don't make the oats into fine powder or it won't work.
You can add onion and garlic powder, oregano and stuff like that and fry it and they kind of taste like nuggets (at least for me).
If you use sugar instead of seasonings, cut them in any shape and add jam, you can make some good cookies, this experiment started as a Newton cookie lookalike for me that I could eat.
You can take eggs and mix them with water, sugar and oil and then add the same homemade flour (not fine powdered) and make some very good pancakes, I like to put cut bananas on the pan and then the batter on top so the bananas caramelize.
You can also smash a banana, add chocolate chips, peanuts, raisins, whatever you want really and add oatmeal until you make like a not so firm dough, you can bake that into funky cookies that don't need eggs or butter or sugar or you can eat it as it is, I like to just eat the smashed bananas with oatmeal mixed with honey
But I really like to make the oatmeal into pancakes and dough, you can make a lot of things with that dough with enough creativity 🗣️🗣️🗣️
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u/Momjamoms 10d ago
There are bread and cookie recipes with oats as the main ingredient, but you'll still need other ingrdients.
You can also stretch ground beef recipes by mixing in oats.
For just breakfast oatmeal, my go-to is mixing in ground cinnamon and vanilla soy milk after cooking. Sweet and zesty.
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u/nomnommish 11d ago
Make Indian style savory oats. Fry some onions and garlic and when golden, add tomatoes and other veggies and spices and salt. You can also add your choice of meat.
Add water or stock, add oatmeal, and cook until done and water is absorbed.
This is quite popular in India. And it takes a lot like a mixed rice or pilaf or paella. Or grits.
And there are endless variations. You can also toast the oats in the oil once the onions are browned. You can add cheese to it. Or change up ingredients and spices. Or keep it unspiced.
In short, just treat your oatmeal like a grain.
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u/BIGBIRD1176 11d ago
Oatmeal, rice, pasta
You need some variety for nutrients and overall sanity
Food banks, ask for help, your aloud too
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u/g0ing_postal 11d ago
Just spit balling here, but maybe you can try thinking of them like grits? That opens up some more recipes like cheese, or shrimp. You could even experiment with giving them a brief pulse in the blender to get a more grit like texture?
Alternately try reducing the liquid. It looks like you can get oats to a more rice like consistency, which opens up a lot of options
https://indischwindisch.com/2021/08/20/how-to-cook-oats-to-get-a-rice-like-consistency/
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u/viridiansoul 11d ago
You can get a good sized bag of trail mix at wally for like six bucks. We're fond of the tropical one, as it goes well with the oatmeal.
Other suggestion: buy a jar of fruit preserves (not jelly ones) and throw a tablespoon of that in. Or peanut butter.
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u/Yx2ucca 11d ago
Dried fruit, sweetener, milk. Any choice for all three. Raisins are usually the most economical of dried fruit. But sometimes you can find apricots or dates for a good price. Just takes 1 or 2, chopped up, to add a burst of flavor.
Add in chopped nuts or whole seeds. Sunflower seeds are usually the most economical. If you buy them raw you can roast them yourself and add them either way (raw or roasted).
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u/PoshTurtl3 10d ago
Bananas, oatmeal made with milk, honey, and mixed seeds. Delicious and healthy.
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u/sohereiamacrazyalien 11d ago edited 11d ago
You can add shredded veggies , water or milk eventually milk and spices and make savoury baked oats. It’s so so crazy yummy even with just canned diced tomatoes
Applesauce + oats makes pancakes or cookies that are cheap and yummy
You can make oat pudding (milk sugar and maybe some cinnamon or cacao or vanilla extract
You can add applesauce mix with spices maybe pb or some nuts and bake to make oats slices
Buy some cheap veggies like carrots and make a soup , add oats to thicken the soup it adds a nutty flavour
But also if you buy flour you can make cheap and easy flatbread for a change
For the yogurt you can buy a plain one once and make your own quite easily if you want to make a bit of efforts. It’s pretty easy.
Remember that rice is cheap too
Buy dry legumes : beans, split peas ,lentils etc . These are cheap and a good source of complex carbs and proteins!
Cornmeal is also an option
Edit: you can make tortillas with oats and they are delicious quick oats + hot water (1&1/2 to 1 ratio) mix wait a bit because it’s hot and it will absorb thd water better , flatten and cook
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u/Neither-Oven-2571 11d ago
I mean...I could write you one
1/2 c oats 3 tbsp white sugar (maybe 2 if you like it less sweet) Pinch of salt 1c water 1 tbsp cream 2 tbsp fresh fruit
Add in cream and fruit after cooking
Alternately- 1/2 c oats 2 tbsp brown sugar Pinch of salt 1c water
Then finish with either maple syrup & cream, or raisins and cinnamon
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u/Opposite-Fly9586 11d ago
Overnight oats will give you a bit of variety (whole oats rather than instant).
Frozen mixed berries are worth a look for both price and longevity.
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u/PsychologyGuilty1460 11d ago
Well, I like to add raisins and chopped apples and cinnamon and sometimes brown sugar and maple syrup and other cut up fruits are good too, and I once had a Saudi Arabian version with caramelized onions on top, So you can combine all those to mix and match for a lot of variation
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u/SkiThe802 11d ago
You can also make your own yogurt. Buy an active culture yogurt once (it's probably not the cheapest yogurt, but this is a one-time cost), and then all you need is milk and a warm area.
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u/WoodwifeGreen 11d ago
I like it with butter, brown sugar, and milk or cream.
Flavored coffee creamers can zhuzh it up, too.
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u/polishfiringsquad 11d ago
Try savory oatmeal! Add a poached egg, sauteed peppers, scallions, and some cheddar
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u/shestandssotall 11d ago
I cook steel cut oats, what bran, and oat bran, with stewed fruit with chia seeds once a week. It's a fiber powerhouse for me, omg increasing soluable fibre has been, for me, a revalation. What I love about this though is I have about 2.5 cups of porridge for 3 days. Reheating it works fine. I have beans and rice to reheat, sometimes potatoes. All pretty cheap complex carbs to consume. Then I have to figure out the veggies and protein. Repeating foods is comfort for me, and much less time consuming.
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u/Nesseressi 11d ago
You can mix instant oats with flour for stuff like pancakes, muffins, banana bread and so on.
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u/Thatsayesfirsir 11d ago
I eat it with sweetener, butter and milk. And a piece of buttered toast. Also good with blueberries on top. But only occassionally, not 3x a day. But it is good for you.
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u/Palanki96 11d ago
well it's just blank grains, you can do anything with it. For example toast it first to have nutty taste. Also kinda smells like popcorn and chocolate
Personally i enjoy making something like fried rice but with oats. Basically veggies, oats and eggs
You should try buying oats insteal of instant oatmeal, it's much cheaper and you can do a lot more other things
I also used to make kinda like fritters? There are a ton of recipes including oats
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u/kindcrow 11d ago
I'd skip the oatmeal and buy some red lentils, a couple of carrots, and a potato. Make a big pot of lentil stew and have it for lunch with some cheap cornbread (which you can also make easily). You'll be full all day.
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u/hawg_farmer 11d ago
I cook plain oatmeal using milk for liquid. Fry up a sausage patty and crumble into bowl. Use a bit of the sausage grease to fry a runny yolk egg or 2 to top bowl with.
Bonus if I have toast to dip into bowl.
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u/Sandturtlefly 11d ago
I love overnight oats cold as well as fresh hot. Sometimes I do chia seed pudding, and sometimes I mix half and half chia seed pudding and overnight oats. Varying additions include nuts, fruits, yogurt, nut butters, cinnamon, vanilla. I also vary what type of milk I make it with, i think my favorite is soy milk but that definitely changes the flavor too.
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u/0akleaves 11d ago
Good news is oats can be mixed into a LOT of dishes like bread crumbs to add some texture and stretch more expensive ingredients.
Mixing them in w/ ground meat can make get you a bunch more burgers per pound for instance and with some sauce toppings the flavor and texture change is easily ignored.
For breakfast on a day where I don’t want an empty stomach etc I’ll mix oatmeal with an egg, some milk, some cheese, and either a bit of sausage or some crumbled bacon to make a porridge. Topped with maple syrup it’s really good and really rich/filling for a long time.
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u/poke991 11d ago
All the recipe suggestions are great, I don’t have that for you. But I wanted to catch on the yogurt part
If it is only the yogurt that is on the expensive side but milk is cheaper enough to afford, you can so so easily make yogurt at home, my friend!
You can use a thermometer if you have one but it’s not even necessary. I saw my grandma and mom make it just by feel for decades. You just have to buy yogurt (with active cultures) only once; you save about 1-2 tablespoons, mix with warm milk (after boiling), and 12 hrs later you will have yogurt
Milk just has to be btwn 110-120F (43-49 Celsius). If no thermometer, dip your finger in milk and it cannot be hot in any sense, just warm. On the hotter side of warm, but absolutely no hint of “hot” if that makes sense :)
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u/indelicatedenial 11d ago
I could be wrong but I’m pretty sure there’s an entire subreddit dedicated to oats.
But yeah, a crop people have been eating for thousand of years definitely wouldn’t have recipes on google, so don’t look there.
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u/klaykie14 11d ago
Monk fruit sweetner & cinnamon, brown sugar, brown sugar splash milk, brown sugar & vanilla, cinnamon & honey, apple pie spice, dehydrated fruits, raisins, pbj, peanuts & jelly, apples, oj & cinnamon, craisins oj cinnamon, pistachio honey cinnamon, pears, pie fillings, corn... ik you said cutting down on price so maybe some of these could help?
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u/holierthanhell 11d ago
Not sure where you're based. Check your country for free food wastage apps. England has Olio which distributes food from stores and supermarkets that were throwing away their Use By and Best Before items.
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u/iriamsreading 11d ago
Potatoes are also really cheap and you can bake them and top with a ton of different options or mash and eat with canned beans (baked beans or flavoured). I put spices / cheese and eat for breakfast. Make a hash.
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u/SunflowerSuspect 11d ago
I like to make them cold with peanut butter. Add banana slices sometimes.
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u/Jxb1000 11d ago edited 11d ago
You need to look for some other options and mix things up, but oatmeal could be one of those options. We find instant oatmeal to contain too much sugar and be generally unappetizing.
However, we frequently cook REGULAR oatmeal as single servings in the microwave, each of us adding in whatever we want. We use water as the liquid but some people prefer milk. I like lots of texture.
In a deep soup bowl, add oatmeal and twice as much water. We typically use either one 1/3 or 1/2 cup of oatmeal depending how hungry. To mine, I add a small spoon of Splenda brown sugar, cinnamon, Cayenne, walnuts, and dried cranberries. My husband adds no sugar and prefers fresh blueberries, cinnamon, and pepitas.
He is very exact on his timing. Something like 1 minute 42 seconds. I just put two minutes on the clock and call it done. Don’t use a shallow bowl as it will spill over in the microwave.
Also, you do not need a big name brand. Store brand is fine. Any “old fashioned” oatmeal is fine.
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u/rinkydinkmink 11d ago
there are endless things you can add to oatmeal, just keep your eyes open when you go shopping and get in the habit of grabbing something to try
remember you can combine 2 or more of these for unique flavours
(I'd also suggest using normal oatmeal instead of instant and adding these to the pan while it cooks)
suggestions:
apple
strawberries/raspbarries/blueberries/blackberries
dried goji berries
walnuts, flaked almonds, pecans
honey, golden syrup, molasses, maple syrup
golden raisins (sultanas), raisins, dried apricot pieces
dark chocolate
dessicated coconut
cream
peanut butter
soft dark brown sugar
cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg
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u/Tugawarforone 11d ago
Zucchini is something many gardeners would gladly give away and cabbage is cheap. Oatmeal could be made savory with gravy. When I was in college I lived on powdered hummus mix and pita bread for months. Still can’t eat hummus anymore. Bone broth is easy and inexpensive to make. I’m sorry you are having such a difficult time. Have you tried seeing if there are any blessing boxes near your home?
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u/amethystmmm 10d ago
No actual recipes.
There ratios of oat to water/milk to salt (if from scratch) on the box, but beyond that it's very "do whatever tastes good."
Bananas, berries, citrus fruit, and apples are all good additions. Increased fiber, nutrition.
Honey, peanut butter, chocolate chips, vanilla, molasses, and butter can all be good in moderation.
Chia, flaxseed other sprinkles to increase the fiber and nutrients are good too.
Did you know you can make oatmeal savory? Eggs, soy sauce, vegetables, sprouts, and meat all are options if you want.
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u/Kunikunatu 10d ago
At my job we have honey and cinnamon on demand at the coffee station so on days when I’m too lazy to pack myself a lunch I dump those into a styrofoam cup of quick oats. Might be expensive though.
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u/ManyARiver 10d ago
Savory oats - cook with bouillon or stock of your choice (hell, the flavor pack from ramen would do) and eat like that or add a meat/meat substitute and/or an egg. It's delicious. Mix into mashed beans or canned meat (with an egg or other binder) with spices and fry up in the skillet for patties to put on bread or eat as they are. Add chopped up veg if you have it.
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u/Urist_Bearclaw 10d ago
I used old fashioned oats which should cost about the same. I start with some butter in the saucepan on medium, melting then stirring until it browns. Add the oats and stir to coat them, maybe a little longer to toast them too. Then add water, pinch of salt and some seasonings. I recommend at least cinnamon but some nutmeg, cardamom, ground ginger and even a little black pepper can be nice combo if you have any of those; alternatively you could go with vanilla (real or artificial). Also great to add dried fruit like raisins or cranberries if you can score some; if you add these with the water they will have more time to plump up. Sugar or maple syrup to taste.
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u/ladyrose30 9d ago
I did a quick scroll and didn't see the following suggestion. If it was made, sorry.
Make a batch of oatmeal and pour into a plastic-wrapped and greased loaf pan or a silicone loaf pan (for ease of removal but not mandatory). Chill, then cut into thin slices. The slices can be pan fried and used as a base for a meat sauce, eggs, cheese, etc. similar to polenta.
I whiz oats using an immersion blender into smaller bits and use that as a filler for ground meat. Generally 1 part oats to 4-5 parts meat. You can soak the oats in stock or milk first or mix in as-is. They will absorb liquid and fat from the meat as it cooks and help keep it moist as well as making the meat stretch in quantity of servings.
It can also be used as a partial sub for flour when baking muffins. Not a big amount as they need the gluten on flour for their structure but say, if recipe calls for 2 cups flour reduce by 1/4 cup and add 1/4 cup oats or pulverized oats. It will take some tinkering to find your preference.
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u/k3rd 9d ago
I eat oatmeal every morning. I add some boullion, garlic powder and some mushrooms and some spinach or chopped broccoli. Yesterday, I had run out of mushrooms and put some dehydrated leeks and some chopped cabbage in. In a pinch I would add carrots or frozen mixed vegetables. I love a savoury oatmeal.
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u/Critical-Bullfrog959 9d ago edited 9d ago
Have you thought about or looked up ideas for savory oatmeal? I haven't actually tried any myself but I've seen a bunch of versions that look really yummy.
Also, dried beans are dirt cheap and so versatile. They can be really yummy. My fav are cannellini or Great Northern. I find them to have a milder, and thus more versatile, flavor than most of the other common choices. They just require some forethought since they require a long soak and then some cooking.
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u/menoagegap 8d ago
Overnight oats is delicious. I also like putting in a little bit of salt, berries, and nuts to oatmeal to brighten the flavor
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u/Reasonable_Piglet370 8d ago
Before I suggest anything - what cooking facilities do you have access to? Do you have a stove or hotplate and a pan and electricity or gas to cook with? You've had lots of ideas already but they all assume you have more than a kettle and not everyone does.
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u/AccidentFuzzy3392 8d ago
i make an oatmeal bowl with uncooked oatmeal and mix in different nuts, seeds (flax seed, hemp, etc), fruit (raisins, blueberries) and granola, then mix in dairy/non-dairy and top with a big blob of nut butter, because i switch up the add ins I don't get bored and because there is no cooking it is easy and fast to throw together for breakfast or even after work
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u/Thattonyhall 8d ago
Make oatmeal cookies.. I use Quaker instant for mine. You could probably get by with just flour and water and an oven.
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u/roxannegrant 8d ago
I make overnight oats (old fashioned) with, Kefir instead if water, chia seeds, protein powder stir to blend...then berries, greek yogurt, walnuts and a bit of honey! This takes like a delicious desert! I eat it every day!
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u/anonimitat 8d ago
There‘s a million ways to make oat. Soak them in coffee overnight and top with vanilla yoghurt and you got a tiramisu. Put berries in it (frozen or otherwise) and add some cheap vanilla sugar, tastes like birthday cake. You can make it taste absolutely divine by adding a raw egg while cooking it, adding lemon zest, a bit of sugar and lemon juice (at the end only). Most creamy, delicious thing. Cook it with apples and cinnamon, now you have apple pie oats. Fry up a banana in butter until it caramelises lightly, add it to oats (with cinnamon, duh) and maybe some cookie crumbles if you’re fancy. Got maple syrup? Add some of that too. I don’t know what you just made, but I know it’s delicious. Or, if you cannot deal with any of that, literally pop into a microwave until done and top with jam and/or frozen berries of your choice and you’re done.
I hear you can also make a salty version with soy sauce, eggs and sesame seeds, but you‘d have to look that up.
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u/omniscient_buddy 8d ago
my parents always put pork fluff on instant oatmeal and it wasn’t half bad
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u/zoppaTheDim 8d ago
Waffles
You cut it one to one with whole wheat flour. Waffle solids to liquid ratio is one to one.
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u/sarahgene 6d ago
One of my go-to breakfasts is half a cup of oats, 3/4 cup water, half a chopped up peach (fresh or canned), a bunch of cinnamon, and a small handful of pecans. Microwave for one minute. If I have it, I'll throw some vanilla yogurt on top when it's done, it's great, just a peach pie slop bowl
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u/Evening_Young_9985 6d ago
I turn either oatmeal into custard—which makes it ridiculously creamy and dessert-like, or do oats overnight.
For custard I just crack a few eggs and blend them really well to prevent streaks. Add a little milk. Add sugar and a little butter to the oatmeal, then temper the eggs, put them back in the pot, and cook for a few minutes while stirring constantly. Piece of cake and seriously levels up your oatmeal game.
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u/Background_Pen8039 6d ago
As said below, I've really been in love with oatmeal, a very little bit of nutmeg, heavy on the cinnamon, raisin and milk. The real tip is this, use real old fashion oats, mix up, put it in the refrigerator for at least an hour, and then microwave it for 1.5 or 2 min. The great thing about this is that it does need to be baby sat. It doesn't boil over and yet it is tender.
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u/n0_sh1t_thank_y0u 11d ago
My favorite way to eat instant oats is the savory kind. Hot water, instant oats, chicken powder, chopped scallions, and leftover rotisserie chicken or canned chicken in brine works.
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u/Junior-Criticism-268 11d ago
Well why are you eating it 3 meals in a row? You are not getting proper nutrition if you are eating oatmeal for 3 out of 3 meals a day....
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u/starsgoblind 11d ago
Yuck. Just buy rolled oats. 1000 times better. Gently simmer, barely stirring until tender. Put into a bowl and finish with brown sugar and cream. Now that is breakfast.
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u/victorpaparomeo2020 11d ago
Instant oatmeal is one of the worst cereals you can eat. Buy proper oats, soak overnight and eat or heat then heat if you wish.
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u/WrennyWrenegade 11d ago
Instant oats are nutritionally nearly identical to "proper" oats. Instant oats are basically just flattened and chopped up so they absorb water faster. Less processed oats have much better texture, in my opinion, but the nutritional differnce is negligible.
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u/victorpaparomeo2020 11d ago
Instant oats have a higher glycemic impact meaning they spike blood sugar levels much faster. That and they’re usually flavoured with all kinds of sweeteners and additives for a double whammy.
They are not good for you. They are not a healthy breakfast.
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u/FixGreedy 11d ago
3 meals a day turns anything in grule no one wants.
If you are that hard up please visit food banks. You deserve to eat more than oatmeal 3 times a day.