My husband eats steel cut oatmeal every weekday morning. To keep him from buying sugar-laden oatmeal on his way to work, I make a batch on Sunday. When cooking the oats, I use 1/2 water and 1/2 milk (4 cups liquid to 1 cup oats). This makes a creamy oatmeal and ups the protein and calcium content (for even more protein, see my previous post on adding eggs to oatmeal). My husband likes his oatmeal simple; a little brown sugar, raisins and walnuts.  For myself, I’ll top cooked oatmeal with chia seeds, nut butter, berries and yogurt.

I put a serving of oatmeal in hot cups with a lid then store them in the refrigerator for a fast, grab-and-go breakfast. One batch of oatmeal makes enough to get through five busy mornings.  Reheat in the microwave at home or at work.

Nutrition Note:  Steel cut oats take a little longer to cook but if you cook them over the weekend and reheat them throughout the week, it’s actually a time saver. Adding extra protein and healthy fat from nuts, nut butter or seeds ups the satiety value. Oats that are cooked and cooled develop a starch called resistant starch that improves blood sugar and the soluble fiber in oats lowers blood cholesterol levels.