How to make oatmeal taste good ???

[Octagon]

Originally Posted by lprene

Wow! Thanks everyone for all of the suggestions!

Another question...are quick cooking oats OK (NOT instant) or do they need to be the old fashioned kind?

Check the label for words like processed or enriched (avoid) and fiber content (higher is generally better).

For the most part though, cooking time doesn't tell you *that* much. Some 1 minute varieties are really good, some 'slow' 5 minute varieties aren't that great.

[cursor]

Originally Posted by lprene

...are quick cooking oats OK (NOT instant) or do they need to be the old fashioned kind?

According to Quaker, the only difference between the two formats is that Quick Oats are simply cut thinner than Old Fashioned rolled oats, which allow more surface area to come in direct contact with the hot water (shorter cooking times).

[Cort]

Originally Posted by alucard

id have to disagree wit u buddy. just cuz a lot of flavored oatmeal has some sugar in it, it doesnt make it crap and "defeat the purpose of oatmeal" .

sure , oatmeal wit no sugar would be better but that doesnt make that oatmeal total crap.

Well, in this case...the desire to eat the oatmeal is coming from the fact that it is a great source of complex carbohydrates. The packaged oatmeal full of simple carbs (the sugar) does "defeat the purpose" in the sense that it is no longer fulfilling that desire for a good source of complex carbs.

[abear]

i like to do mix my oatmeal with wheat germ, cinammon and sugar or davinici syrup

when i know i wont have time to eat, i make some pancakes with oats and eggs and just reheat them

[Gilogy]

I love the stuff -- 5 days a week. Add a little cinnamon and flaxseed and I'm good to go.

My wife never cared for it. But she loves bananas, so this morning I tried adding a little cinnamon and half of a small banana (mashed up and mixed in). That changed it enough that she didn't mind eating it. (Also gave me a new variation to enjoy!)

Uh-oh -- if she starts liking it I may need to find a supplier to buy oatmeal in bulk.

[sooner_ed]

Originally Posted by Octagon

Check the label for words like processed or enriched (avoid)

I'm finally going to speak up about hearing this. Everyone constantly says avoid enriched.
It depends on what your goals are. Enriched is not going to kill you and it's not going to cause you to gain weight. Not all who come here are trying to be 100% all or nothing totally and completely healthy!! We are trying to improve our quality of life through diet and exercise. We are NOT trying to build a body to compete.
We do not live in a perfect world and most of us I dare say, have the time or the desire to go totally organic (avoiding enriched). Although whole wheat and grains are very ideal in a healthy world, things such as white flour and sugar will still help many of us here reach our goals. It is not about avoiding everything as much as it is in moderation.
I wish many of you would give advice based upon what the other person's goals are instead of what your own goals are. Many of you here have been into this lifestyle for years and are trying to achieve certain goals. Most of the new people coming here are simply trying to lose weight and become more healthy and fit. The advice given to them is advice better given to someone more advanced in this lifestyle working to achieve certain goals.
White flour and sugar are not our enemies. While there are better choices, these things in moderation will still help you reach your goals. :

[Lady C]

Originally Posted by sooner_ed

have the time or the desire to go totally organic (avoiding enriched).

I guess he found me out, because I DO avoid the white, enriched stuff like the plague.

[CF-OC_gal]

If you can tolerate the fat, try these: OATCAKES

[sooner_ed]

Originally Posted by Lady C

I guess he found me out, because I DO avoid the white, enriched stuff like the plague.

I avoid things like white flour and sugar as well, but not to the extent that you do. I'm not going to read every freaking nutritional label to see if it has enriched flour. If it has some wheat flour in it, I'll go for it if it is a food I enjoy. If I want to have a low-fat muffin at my favorite new resteraunt, I'm going to have it even though I'm very sure it has sugar in it. I'm only going to live once so I'm not going to completely avoid all of my favorite foods just because it has enriched flour and/or sugar in it. With our diets (except for yours) it should not be about avoiding certain things. It's called moderation. Everything is ok in moderation.
Now if you're sitting here as a bodybuilder getting ready for competition, then of course you have to avoid certain things. But not everyone who comes to this website is so hell-bent on being so strict with their diet that they completely avoid foods that they enjoy. They just want to lose weight, get fit, and eat healthy. That does not necessarily mean avoiding pretzels because the bag says partially hydrogenated oils when the amount of trans fat in them are so small it won't make a difference.
As I have said in the past, people have eaten processed foods for years and years and have lived long healthy lives. If we eat a little cleaner, then good for us. But processed foods will not kill us. Everyone has different goals, both physically and nutritionally, and they should eat and exercise according to what their goals are, not what your goals are.

[SNPiccolo5]

It is problematic to give advice based on one's goals because not everyone know's everyone's goals. It makes sense to give optimul advice, and then let the person decide how strictly they are going to apply it. Also, some people need structure and rules. If "some" or "a little" white flour is OK, how much is that? Let people decide for themselves and see for themselves how enriched and processed foods affect them.

-Tim

[sooner_ed]

Originally Posted by SNPiccolo5

Let people decide for themselves and see for themselves how enriched and processed foods affect them.-Tim

I fully agree with this statement. But I keep reading where people say "avoid this" or "don't have that." That's bogus. One guy once started eating instant oatmeal in an effort to get used to eating oatmeal. It was his way of graduating from not liking oatmeal to getting used to it because he knew it was healthy for him. Then people started saying, "you're better off not eating oatmeal." That was dumb. True enough, it has sugar in it, but it would not kill him. It was his approach to getting to where he wanted to be in relation to oatmeal. But what does "you're better off not eating oatmeal at all" mean? And if he ate clean the rest of the time, but allowed himself some instant oatmeal, he's still better off not eating it? Baby steps people, baby steps. People don't need an all or nothing approach. They need a gradual approach so they won't get discouraged and quit.
Oh well...just my two cents...which is probably worth a lot less.

[CF-OC_gal]

I think that if it is not clear what someone's goals are when they post then it makes sense to ask. These are discussion forums not perfection forums.

Myself personally, if I ate a diet consisting of the 20 or so "best food" choices here including mega servings of oatmeal, fish, chicken, turkey and cottage cheese, I am guaranteed to be setting myself up for food sensitivities. Variety keeps us out of that trap. Especially oats which are quite commonly listed as an allergy food. There are lots of alternative grains to oats and not everyone is predisposed to high cholesteral. Besides making low fat protein choices cuts out a lot of the cholesteral producing food anyways.

It's a well known fact that choosing portion control food rather than going on a restrictive diet is the most successful way to diet. Binging and cheating comes from denial. There are no "bad foods", just bad timing as to when to eat them in what quantity.

Ideally people who are trying to make lifestyle changes should do it gradually. If they are told to eat a limited palatte of food only "or else" you can be sure they will fail. That's why so many diets fail. People do well while on them but then they go "off". It's the same mentality with "cheat" days. If I have a couple of galsses of wine I'm not cheating, I'm just enjoying a glass of wine! If I was to drink it at every meal it is no longer enjoyable, it becomes common and boring just like 5 servings of oatmeal a day would be if I took that advice! There is so much good food out there. If I go out and get pissed every weekend, drinking a whole bottle of wine then that has nothing to do with my diet and nutritional needs and has everything to do with my social and emotional state of mind. At that point its a question of lifestyle!

[JBinKC]

If you have the time to cook it the steel cut variety it has a more nutty texture/flavor than the quick oat variety.


Personally, I like it with mixed with 1 packet of splenda, flaxseed meal, 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder or a pureed banana and top it off with 1/2 inch of skim/soy milk.

[managemy]

If you mix in a few pieces of cereal with the oatmeal when it cooks the flavor leaches out and make it taste really good

[beep]

I put a scoop or two of designer whey protein (chocolate) on my oatmeal after it cools down a little. It taste pretty good and a good way for me to get my protein.