Awesome Oatmeal To Go

Okay, so you want to eat healthier.  And you know a good day starts with a good breakfast.  But you're busy!  And stressed!  And you couldn't find your car keys, so now you're late!

Yea, you could run through McD's on your way to work and grab some oatmeal. But did you know that there are 21 ingredients in that oatmeal?  Twenty-one.  They include things like calcium ascorbate, sunflower oil, sulfur dioxide, sodium phosphate, datem, sodium stearoyl lactylate, sodium citrate, carrageenan, food starch-modified, salt, natural flavor (plant source), barley malt extract, caramel color.  Seriously, how can you make a healthy breakfast so unhealthy?

So, here is the breakfast I eat every single morning.  Yes every.  Because oatmeal is awesome, and I love it.  And, it is so quick and easy to make.  I prep an entire week's worth on the weekend, and just grab it along with my lunch when I leave the house (yes, I pack a healthy homemade lunch every day.  I prep those on the weekends to that they are grab & go too).

When I get to work, I just add hot water and in about 10 minutes I have some oh-so-awesome oatmeal.  At my desk.  Warm and fresh to be savored while I check my email.  This oatmeal is completely awesome (like the title of the blog says) and is waaaaaay healthier (and cheaper) than McD's.

Here's what you'll need for a week's worth of healthy breakfast.

• 5 containers with lids (I use mason jars)
• Old fashioned rolled oats
• Dehydrated fruit (I dehydrate my own)
• Powdered milk
• Splenda brown (I make my own using equal parts Splenda and brown sugar)
• Cinnamon

First, add 2/3 cup of oats to each jar

Next, add 1 TBSP powdered milk

Add the brown sugar blend - about 2 TBSP works for me, but adjust to your taste.

And then 1/4 tsp. of your spice.  

Of course cinnamon goes perfectly with the apples I'm using, but you can use whatever you like.  

Next, add your dried fruit.  My favorite is apples, but raisins, cranberries or any other dried fruit you like will work.  I use about 2 TBSP of fruit.

Doesn't this fruit look delicious???!  I had a few blackberries, so they went in there too.

I usually keep jars of dehydrated fruit on hand for just such things.  I make my own dehydrated fruit, but you can use store bought too (it just has more chemicals & preservatives in it).

Put the lids on, and you are ready to start your day right for an entire week!

When you're ready to eat, just add hot water up to the neck (that ridge right below the lid) and let it sit for 5-10 minutes.  Yum!

**This oatmeal does have about 100 more calories than McD's, but it has fewer things you can't pronounce and is a bigger serving, so it's more filling.  If that concerns you, you can reduce the amount of oats you use.