Fun and healthy breakfasts with oatmeal

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23 May 2012: Oatmeal is a highly satisfying morning breakfast meal. High in soluble fiber, oatmeal helps to lower ’bad’ LDL cholesterol levels and is high in protein content too, which keeps you content and satisfied for a longer period of time.

Another star quality of oatmeal resides in the fact that it is a low-glycemix index food, thus an ideal pre-snack meal before hitting your daily workout routine. There are many ways to prepare healthy oatmeal meals. And today, we are discussing just that - fun ways to prepare healthy breakfasts with oatmeal. Let’s get started...

Jazz up your morning bowl of breakfast with one or more of these ideas:

Boost the calcium content in your oatmeal bowl, and prepare your oatmeal with low-fat milk instead of water.

Add dry fruits, such as chopped apricots, dates, cranberries, raisins or cherries.

Top it with chopped or freshly slices fruits, such as bananas, mangoes or apples.

Add a pinch of cinnamon or sugar to it.

Add a dash of sweetened yogurt to it and you will love your oatmeal breakfast.

Make low-fat applesauce at home and add it to your oatmeal.

You can also add a generous sprinkling of ground flaxseed.

Ground cinnamon or ginger also makes for excellent topping.

Microwave a few nuts, almonds, walnuts and pecans.

Preserves, jams, honey and jiggery make for a classic topping too.

Now that you know what toppings you can try over your oatmeal, try these healthy variation recipes too:

Peanut butter oatmeal cookies.

Ingredients: 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 cup regular oats, 1/2 cup dried tinned cherries, 1 cup peanut butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons unsalted variety of butter, 2 large eggs, 1 cup light brown sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Method: Preheat the oven to 375°. Now, take your oats and whip them in a food processor until you have fine paste of it. Throw in cherries and sugar, until you have a fine mixture. Take the mixture out in a bowl and keep it aside. In a separate bowl, combine peanut butter and unsalted butter variety. Beat this with an electric mixer at a gradual speed, so that it becomes nice and fluffy. Now, add in your eggs, vanilla, and salt in the butter batter until it becomes a smooth paste. Slowly add in oatmeal mixture to it until it is nicely blended. Now, stir in flour and knead the mixture together using a rubber spatula. Transfer this mixture on an ungreased baking tray. Flatten it with a fork and bake for 12-15 minutes. Your peanut butter oatmeal cookies are ready!

Protein oatmeal pancakes.

Ingredients: 1 big ripe banana mashed with some applesauce, or 1tbs of olive oil, 1 and a 1/2 cup non-fat cottage cheese, 1 cup powdered oatmeal, 1/4 cup flax seeds, 1/2 cup low fat milk, 2 scoops whey protein and 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder.

Method: Blend all ingredients together. Then add a little oil (1tsp) to a non-stick pan and pour out batter, 1 cup at a time. Flip when bubbles start forming on the up side. Done when slightly brown.

Oatmeal 101: Take a small pot and place it over medium heat. Now add ½ a cup of oatmeal to the bowl along with ½ a cup of low-fat milk and a pinch of salt. Keep on stirring occasionally, until the oats are thick. Continue this for 5 to 7 minutes.

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