Flavored Oatmeal

By Joseph Parish

One of the best survival breakfasts that a person can have is oatmeal. Oatmeal provides a good nutritious meal for your body and the cost per serving is very budget minded. The only problem with oatmeal is that it becomes very bla after a while with the usual flavor.

My grandson will eat oatmeal over normal ready to eat cereals only if it has an apple taste to it. By merely adding boiling water to it or placing it in the microwave. Granted you can purchase the individual packets of instant oatmeal but they can greatly increase the cost of the meal and in many cases simply are not filling enough. In addition you as a health conscious consumer have then lost all control over taste and the addition of undesirable additives. In the end you will find that the instant package flavored oatmeal is much tastier but is likely to have more items added to it during the actual processing.

The regular oatmeal does not contain cholesterol nor sugar making it a healthy choice. It can be made quickly Regular oatmeal has a considerable amount less of adulterating additions but remains less flavorable. Do not fear however as the regular oatmeal can be made to taste just as good as its instant counterpart. With the addition of a few simple kitchen items you can boast the flavor of your oatmeal to satisfy just about any palette. 

When adding flavors to regular oatmeal you can enjoy the best of both worlds. You have your healthy breakfast food free of any additives and the flavor of the instant packets. Adding these flavors is really a rather simple process.  Any of the below listed items can be added to your oatmeal to provide you with a different tasting treat according to your individual preference.

·                       apple sauce

·                       brown sugar

·                       chocolate and chocolate chips

·                       cinnamon sugar or plain cinnamon

·                       coconut

·                       cream cheese

·                       flax seed

·                       fresh, frozen, dried or canned fruit

·                       granola

·                       honey

·                       maple or berry syrups as used on pancakes

·                       nuts

·                       peanut butter

·                       yogurt

Flavor changes are limited only by ones individual imagination and you are encouraged to try as many different combinations as you can devise. The only limit here is your imagination.

If you are using dried fruits and non perishable ingredients you could conceivably package small amounts for use in bug out kits and emergency bags, take some hiking with you or on camping trips. The big advantage of oatmeal is that it is not only nutritious but it provides a good basis for energy that your body burns slowly.

Here is a meal solution that I was instructed on not long ago. You can take your usual oatmeal and add some chicken bullion to it as it cooks. Add to it some vegetables or meat with a little herb and spices and you have created an excellent soup or casserole.

Copyright @2009 Joseph Parish

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