We all know breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but on busy mornings it can be a challenge to find something that is both quick and healthy. One of the most frugal and filling breakfasts you can have is oats-whether as oatmeal or cereal. We’ve been long time fans of all forms of oats for breakfast. 4 out of 6 Whalens love oatmeal, and we all agree that granola or oat cereals are the tastiest.
They not only allow us to serve a hearty breakfast to the kids in minutes, but they also sustain us until lunchtime-a tough thing to do when you’re constantly on the go!
So when we were asked us to share some of out favorite healthy toppings, I put together a list of fun ways to have your healthy breakfast and love it, too!
5 Fun Oatmeal Toppings
1. Blueberry Vanilla Oatmeal
Oats with blueberries, dash of non-alcohol vanilla extract or vanilla syrup, and optional milk
Blueberries are a great addition to your morning oatmeal. They are a superfood, and delicious, too! I like to keep it simple and just use blueberries and a dash of vanilla, but my kids like to add milk to the mix, too. Start with Kashi’s Truly Vanilla Hot Cereal for an extra special breakfast.
2. Spicy Apple Oats
Oats with diced apples and cinnamon
While your oatmeal is cooking or your water is boiling you can dice up an apple. I love a good Honeycrisp apple, but also like the sweet and sour of Granny Smith apples. Add cinnamon to taste on top and dig in. You can start with Kashi’s Apple Cinnamon Hot Cereal and make this extra delicious.
3. Honey Spiced Oats
Oats with honey, cinnamon, dash of nutmeg, milk or dairy-free milk
These spicy sweet oats are delicious and a family favorite. Add honey to taste (about 1-2 teaspoons) or start with Kashi’s Hearty Honey Hot Cereal, add cinnamon on top, a dash of nutmeg, and pour on some fresh whole milk or unsweetened almond milk (for the dairy-free among us).
4. Maple Bacon Oats
Oats with maple syrup and bacon
Super simple and SO tasty. Start with Kashi’s Golden Maple Hot Cereal and add a teaspoon (or more to taste) of maple syrup. Next crumble some bacon to put on top. It’s like eating pancakes and bacon only better!
5. Savory Oats
Oats with kale, sun-dried tomatoes, and butter or ghee
Have you ever made savory oats? While I have seen recipes in the past I was not convinced until I tried a savory oatmeal recipe on a trip to Charlottesville last Fall. It convinced me to try it, and I found it was seriously the BEST. I had no idea it would be so good!
This recipe is fairly simple. It works even better with steel-cut oats. Simply make your oatmeal and then while it’s still piping hot add a teaspoon of butter or ghee (if you’re lactose intolerant), stir in some baby kale (it will wilt in the heat of the oatmeal), and a spoonful or two of sun-dried tomatoes. Not only is this a great breakfast but it also works for lunch or dinner, too!
Create an Oatmeal ‘Bar’
Another great way to serve up oatmeal for breakfast (or brinner!) is to make an oatmeal ‘bar’ with a ton of toppings to choose from. Let kids choose their own topping combos. You never know they may make something delicious!
Topping Ideas for Oatmeal Bar
I like to put oat a big bowl of oatmeal with bowls and spoons and the following toppings on the side:
Fruit: Sliced bananas, diced apples, raisins, dried cranberries, and pears make great fruity toppings.
Milk or Non-Dairy Milk: I like to add a little milk to the oatmeal after it is fully cooked. This allows it to be firm but not dry. The kids like their organic whole milk while I alternate between coconut milk and almond milk (both unsweetened).
Nuts: Almonds, pecans, walnuts, and more add healthy fats and an extra protein punch to your bowl.
Egg: It may seem like an odd addition, but eggs in oatmeal can be great! Add an egg cooked overeasy or overhard on top of your oatmeal.
Avocado: I’m a huge fan of avocado any way I can eat it and making a savory oatmeal with avocado is tops on that list! Paired with some chunky salsa and a light sprinkling of cheese (non-dairy cheese for me) it’s perfection!
Veggies: Now that I have a love affair with savory oatmeal I am not shy about putting out veggies of all kinds with our oatmeal.
Enter your Oats Made Great Contest
Your creations can help you win big thanks to your local grocery store. Kashi has teamed up with local grocery store chains to provide a great prize for your homemade oatmeal creations. You can enter to win the Grand Prize of a $250 gift card or get a $50 gift card as 1 of 6 runner ups.
You can vote for my creation here, or make your own by following the links to your local grocery store chain.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Albertsons, ACME Markets, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s, Star Market. The opinions and text are all mine.
Yum! Love oatmeal. I usually put some combination of walnuts, pecans, blueberries and/or cinnamon in mine.