Good Morning Oatmeal

If you are like me, you want to eat healthy, but don’t have time most mornings for elaborate, time consuming recipes.  I agree completely and created this quick basic morning oatmeal as a solution.

December is here!  The mornings are getting noticeably chillier here in New England.  Although my go-to favorite healthy breakfast in the cooler weather is oatmeal, I also happen to prefer this for breakfast year round.

A few years ago, a nutritionist steered me away from the instant packaged prepared flavored oatmeal mixes that were my then breakfast of choice.  I figured, hey it’s oatmeal, but the nutritionist convinced me it would be better to prepare my own from whole grain, old fashioned rolled oats (without any added sugar).  Since then, I prepare the oatmeal fresh every morning.  And you know what?  It takes about the same time as the instant, pre-packaged variety.

 Most mornings, I would make old fashioned cooking oats with a splash of maple syrup.  Sometimes, I might add a few blueberries here and there, but, in general, I was getting very bored.

So, of course, I searched around for some new exciting oatmeal recipes and options.  I tried a few recipes, but ended up coming up with this version and it is my current favorite.  The toppings are crushed walnuts (slightly toasted or not), pomegranates seeds (also known as arils), some banana slices, a half teaspoon of flaxseed meal and a splash of maple syrup.  And, the nutritional benefits to this version are wonderful, but, more importantly, it is delicious!

Getting the arils out of the pomegranate is fairly easy.  My preferred method of storage is to put the arils in a plastic ziplock baggie and place in the freezer where they are ready at a moment’s notice. Every morning, I place about a tablespoon of the arils in the oatmeal.  They are frozen, but it doesn’t bother me and plus the oatmeal seems to heat them up a bit.

5 from 1 vote

Print

Good Morning Oatmeal

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

5 mins

Total Time

10 mins

 

This is a delicious healthy breakfast oatmeal using old fashioned oats, chopped nuts and juicy pomegranate seeds.

Course: Breakfast

Servings: 1

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
• 1 cup water (as a variation you could use 1/2 water and 1/2 milk of your choice)
• pinch salt
• 1 tablespoon chopped walnuts lightly toasted or not
• 1 tablespoon pomegranate seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon flaxseed meal optional
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup

Instructions

1. Place oats,water and pinch of salt in a pan over medium heat and cook until soft and ready - about 5 minutes.
2. Place the oatmeal in a serving bowl and add the flaxseed meal if using, and stir to combine. Next, add the chopped nuts and pomegranate seeds. Top with the maple syrup.
3. Note: you could use a different type of nut or fruit depending on your preferences. Lately, I have loved this combination.
4. Double the recipe as needed for more servings.
5. By freezing the pomegranate seeds, they will be ready at a moment's notice. I also keep the chopped nuts available in a container so they are ready as well. The mornings go smoothly this way.
6. Enjoy!

Are you new to pomegranates?  Do you want to learn how to seed a pomegranate?  I have created a how-to post that explains my favorite method.

How to Seed a Pomegranate – Fast, Easy and No Mess!

Christine