All about OATS

This is dedicated to all those who (once like me) thought oats looked and tasted worse than saw dust and would be the last food EVER you would think of if, even if it was your last meal on earth.

In taking up my dad’s challenge to have oats once a day for a month, I’m surprised to discover that oats is not that bad afterall. Seriously and not say this just to convince myself!!

Oats and water is a little too plain and 'raw' (in terms of taste) for me.

Much prefer the slightly creamier version oats + water + milk. Milk is good because it has calcium. But if you are FAT conscious, you can opt for low fat or skinny. Doesn’t taste as good as full cream but still good enough. Besides, it’s a matter of getting used to it.

Other flavour variations include – adding a bit of milo, cocoa powder or horlicks, condense milk, treacle, golden syrup, honey, jam, etc.

For a more textured version, add some toasted muesli, nuts or fruits (dried or fresh).



For the SUPER-geng healthy version, try adding some wheatgerm, phyllal husk, lecithin or grounded flax seed. If you are new to oats, I wouldn’t recommend this as your first bite. Instead, try the flavoured ones which would definitely be more palatable and gentle to the taste buds.

Oats by nature, is plain tasting so not only can you have a sweet healthy platform, you can also give it a savoury twist – pinch of salt or soya sauce, egg white, marmite/brovil, chicken floss, sliced fish/meat, preserved vegetables, etc.

To the purist or conscientious, adulterating oats with other ‘junk’ could be viewed as sacrilege if not, just missing the point!! But to a foodie who lives to eat, its one huge step towards healthier living and allowing oats to be accepted in one’s daily food group – all it takes is one unforgettable bad experience to end up being crossed out of the food list! Ha ha ha

Here are some suggestions for oats choices, not only showing how versatile healthy oats can be but also fun and tasty too. Erm, included a few die-hard ones (well, M thought some were just too challenging for her)!! Whatever it takes, I say - Lolz.

For the 'sweet-tooth'

Multi-coloured sprinkles, a sure way to persuade any child to eat without any complaints.

As you guessed, this is Master Prince's favourite way. Mix it all up and you'll end up with lovely bowl of rainbow oats! How cool is that?

Dried fruits – eg. raisins/cranberries



Crunchy muesli fruit & nut mix. Love this combination too as it adds a lovely crunchy texture to the mixture.

A spoonful of honey, treacle, golden syrup

Jam

Yes, even if you are a died hard peanut butter fan, you can still have your daily bowl of oats!

Others include i) Fresh fruits – strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, banana

ii)Chocolate – milo, cocoa, nutella, melted dark chocolate

For those who prefer savoury

Seaweed. I like this mix very much.

Chicken floss. This is good too :)

Sambal Habee (aka dried spicy shrimp)

Brovil/marmite

Oats & ……???? I’m sure you get the point and probably able to concoct something tasty at your end, if not albeit weird but still yummy!

At the end of the day, whatever that tickles your fancy, the most important part (for me anyway) is to avoid LUMPY OATS. Yep, lumpy is DEFINITELY BAD – its like sleeping on an un-fluffed pillow, slightly bearable but very uncomfortable! Key for smooth silky oats is to keep stirring until you get a nice consistent mixture as you add the liquid (water/milk) and also as soon as it comes out of the MW. For best results, cook it over the stove slowly.

Hope this provides some inspiration to a healthier diet and brighter start to your day! :)