Comfort Food: Oatmeal

Few things say comfort food better than oatmeal. It warms you up and provides energy to sustain you through mid-day. I like to pack it full of crushed/chopped walnuts and fresh blueberries. Walnuts for a good supply of protein and about 10% of your daily required iron. Blueberries are high in vitamin K, manganese and vitamin C. Blueberries also provide anti-inflammatory benefits.

For added richness, I add a pat of butter, some brown sugar and cinnamon. Finish it off with a splash of milk on top. If I feel a chocolate craving coming on, I add some cacao nibs. Yum…

For me, traditional oatmeal is better tasting than the instant variety. It only takes about 5-7 minutes to prepare traditional oatmeal; even less if you prepare it as overnight oats. Simply boil water, add the oats to a heat-proof container, mix with sugar and any other dry ingredients. In the morning, add nuts, fruit and milk and go. Don’t forget your coffee!

For weekends, I’ll prepare Irish steel-cut oats. This more closely resembles porridge. The subtle, nutty flavor and ‘bite’ to the tooth makes it perfect for a late-morning breakfast. Be forewarned, it can take up to 25 minutes to prepare porridge, which I what I like to call it. It’s definitely worth the wait and perfect with simple ingredients- a pat of butter, sugar and a generous splash of cream.

No matter which oatmeal type you choose, it tastes great and the high-fiber content helps keep blood sugar levels steady. I give it a big win for oatmeal as comfort food.