You already know a good breakfast helps keep you from overeating the rest of the day. But research shows oatmeal’s better at that than other breakfast foods—it’s about twice as filling as muesli or white bread. Oatmeal’s also rich in soluble fiber, and, paired with a low-fat diet, boosting your fiber can block your body from absorbing fat, helping you get—and stay—trim.
The best news? Whether you spend 30 minutes making the old-school kind or 30 seconds on the instant, you’ll still get all the heart-healthy benefits of whole grains. But beware: As the prep time goes down, calories, sugar, and sodium go up. Check out how the choices compare.
Sprinkle it on: make your bowl even better with these healthy toppers
- Brown sugar. Natural sweetness without many calories; 2 teaspoons has 23 calories, 0 g fat, 6 g sugar, 0 g fiber.
- Blueberries. Fresh or frozen, an antioxidant and fiber boost; 1/2 cup has 42 calories, 0 g fat, 7 g sugar, 2 g fiber.
- Cranberries (dried, sweetened). Bladder-infection protection and healthy gums; 1/4 cup has 92 calories, 0 g fat, 20 g sugar, 2 g fiber.
- Chopped almonds. Extra calcium and crunch; 1/4 cup has 164 calories, 14 g fat (sat 1 g, mono 9 g, poly 3.5 g), 1 g sugar, 3 g fiber, 70 mg calcium.
- Ground flax seeds. Heart-healthy omega-3s; 1 tablespoon has 37 calories, 3 g fat (sat 0 g, mono 0.5 g, poly 2 g), 0 g sugar, 2 g fiber.
- Raisins. Satisfying chewiness and an antioxidant boost; 1/4 cup has 123 calories, 0 g fat, 24 g sugar, 1.5 g fiber.
You’ll save nearly 70 calories over the store-bought kind.
By Lia Huber
Comments (14)
Oatmeal rocks my a.m. thanks for the tip on the raisin antioxidant boost. P.S. would you go to an oatmeal stand for breakfast on the go?
I was up to 170 lbs and tried every diet on the planet. I only gained more weight back each time I failed. My doctor suggested replacing breakfast with oatmeal. I saw such a big difference that I ate it twice a day with healthy snacks in between (mostly veggies, nuts and fruit) and tons of water all day. Then for dinner I had a healthy helping of protein (mostly tofu,don’t really like meat) and more veggies. I ended up at my lowest weight in my life, 125 pounds. I will NEVER stop eating oatmeal. It’s insane how quickly I dropped the weight…only about 5 months. With exercise, I toned down and about a year later, I looked better than I did in high school.
I really hate the texture of oatmeal. I like oat bran as it is smooth and creamier. Is this as nutritious as oatmeal?
Thank you for the information on oatmeal. I knew it was good for your skin when used externally, so I will try the facial recipe. Also, I was surprised to learn oatmeal helps you lose weight. I’ve been eating it this month because I know it helps keep your body warm in the winter.
The steel cut oatmeal is the best… worth the extra minutes on the stove. 1 1/2 c. water to 1/4 c.oatmeal.
I top it with free blueberries, and sliced almonds…
Yummy… extra flavor and texture… delicious!
I enjoy your stories, and your info on dieting.Thanks as i am the heaviest i’ve ever been in my life,250lbs.I need lots of help as i’m goin throu a mid life crises,postmenepausal ect,and everyone thinks i’m goin crazy.Gaining more weight with just bein stessed out, not over eating.
I recently learned that oatmeal, especially wild oats, is an aphrodisiac. So the old saying “sewing your wild oats,” or “feeling your oats,” has some validity. I got a book at the public library, Better Sex Naturally, by Chris D, Meletis, ND, which explains how oats lowers cholesterol, improves circulation and increases sex drive. Also, James Duke, PhD, in his book The Green Pharmacy, lists oats as a treatment for ED. Who knew these old wives tales are sometimes true!!
As much as I love oatmeal, I can’t eat it everyday. A coworker suggested adding uncooked oatmeal to other cereals and I am in love. I add about 1/2 cup of uncooked oatmeal to my bran cereal and pour the milk in. You can’t even tell that it hasn’t been cooked. It’s wonderful and I get the benefit of the oatmeal.
Oatmeal is very good when cooked in very little water for about 1 minute to keep the consistency of the oats, not mushy. Add Top Romain, chicken or beef flavor for breakfast, lunch, or dinner meal. Don’t eat to much, a small bowl will be plenty.
I prepare oatmeal every morning before leaving for work. It helps me feel satisfied and awake for the next 4 hours.
I prepare it the following way: old-fashioned or quick oats (not instant) with a chopped prune and dried apricot (I add one of each per person), 1 tsp of flax seeds. I add water and cook it for about 2-3 minutes. Once I serve it I add a chopped almond. Lately I have included some granola. It’s amazing!
I begin each day by blending oats with pure water and drink it. Many people call that disgusting, but to me it´s a very filling, very healthy and ridiculously cheap way to start my day. I originally got the idea to do that from these overpriced power shake powders you can buy at the gym – I check the box and it said that most of it was just oatmeal. I used to do my own oat-shakes with milk and sugar, but dropped that later on and just went with water.
As I said, it´s a bit unusual at first but now it´s my main food staple – especially useful when I´m traveling: All I need is my oatmeal and a immersion blender, perfect for hotel stays.
I can´t imagine life without my oats anymore ;)
I am currently in a weight loss program at my dr.s office which will last 15 weeks one of
the things that was suggested by the nutritionast was oatmeal reason being it is a low glycemic food, and keeps you feeling full i have been eating a bowl each morning for the last 3 months i have lost 40lbs. I add fresh bluberries, as they are an anti oxident i will continue to eat this great food who knew.
Bill
sounds like most of you eat oatmeal cold with milk ? what are some other suggestions to mix it up ? Can I add granola and/or fruit without losing benefit ?I am just starting and am heavier than i have ever been, any suggestions are appriciated ! thx
DanTheOatmealMan,
Were you thinking of opening an oatmeal stand yourself? If so, I’d definitely throw a little business your way. I’d even go far out of my way to pay a visit if I happened to be in your area.