Lots of oatmeal variations here!

Almond Joy Oats:

Ingredients:

• 1 small banana (about 6 inches)
• 1 cup of water
• 40 grams of rolled oats
• 5 grams of cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup liquid egg whites
• 1 tablespoon of slivered almonds (toasted if you like)
• 1 tablespoon of unsweetened coconut (toasted if you like)
• See custard oats instructions below.

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• 40 grams of oatmeal
• 1 small banana
• 4 grams of dark cocoa powder
• spoonful of cashew butter.

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Apple Pie Oats

• 40 grams of oats
• 1/2 of a granny smith apple chopped small
• 1 tsp of brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup of water
• 1/4 cup of egg whites
• 4 toasted pecans, crushed
• 1 square of lowfat graham cracker

I added apple, cinnamon, and brown sugar to the cooking water with the oats when it came to a boil.  Cooked for a few minutes, then tempered in the egg whites.  Topped with the pecans and crushed graham cracker (for the ‘crust’ ).

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Carrot Cake Oatmeal

• 40 grams of oats
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1/2 cup finely grated carrots
• 10 grams chopped raisins
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup egg whites
• 5 toasted pecans
• 1 tbsp light cream cheese
• 10 grams of powdered sugar (approx 1 tbsp)

Add the carrots, spice, and raisins to the water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.   Add the oats and cook for several minutes until almost done.  Whisk in the egg whites and cook for another minute.  In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese and powdered sugar until mixed.  Top the oats with the cream cheese mixture and crush the nuts on top.

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S’Moats!

• 40 g of Multigrain hot cereal (130 cal)
• 5 g of dark cocoa powder (10 cal)
• 1 small banana mashed (90 cal)
• 2 egg whites (30 cal)
• 12 g of Fluff  (40 cal)
• 1 square of crumbled graham cracker (35 cal)

I mixed the cereal and cocoa powder and added to boiling water with the mashed nana.  Cooked until almost done and tempered in the egg whites.  Then topped with fluff and graham cracker!  Total calories for the bowl is 335 calories.   Just like the campfire treat 😀

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Custard Oats Primer

I cannot take credit for the custard oats idea  I read about them on Susan’s blog and Tay’s blog.  This is just my version of it.

Basically, it’s just oats with egg whites whisked in.  Takes about 5 minutes.  Pretty simple, eh?  This is my version.  Yesterday’s oats were a pumpkin custard.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup of liquid egg whites
• 1/2 cup of canned pumpkin (from my precious stash)
• 40 grams of rolled oats
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• pumpkin pie spice (a lot!)

In a small pot, bring 1 cup of water to a boil and add the oats, brown sugar, and spice:

Reduce heat and cook for a couple minutes.  This part always smells so good with the spices.  My arm starts to look pretty tasty at this point as I am waiting for the oats to cook…..

Then I add the pumpkin:

It takes a bit to mix this in, then I cook for a minute.  Sometimes it takes a little longer if the pumpkin came from the fridge.

Then comes the egg whites.  Drizzle very slowly while stirring fast with the other hand,as you want the egg whites incorporated and not in solid chunks:

Not only do these taste good, but you can work on coordination at the same time! Once they are all in, cook for another 30 seconds or so and you will see the oats puff up a bit and get creamy.

Pour into a bowl and top as you wish!  My favorites for the pumpkin oats are toasted pecans and cranberry sauce, but this will do:

See how creamy and fluffy these are?  It makes the bowl full, and as a volume eater, you know I love that!

Calories: The pumpkin oats without toppings:  235 calories

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I have also done these with a mashed banana instead of pumpkin.  Just add the well-mashed banana to the boiling water.  No sugar necessary with this one, as the banana gets absorbed into the oats and sweetens them.

Calories:  Banana oats without toppings: 260 with a small (6-7 inch) banana.