NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF/CONSUMER REPORTS) — With the cooler mornings we're having, you may be thinking that something warm and toasty sounds better than cold cereal.
What about oatmeal? It comes in all sorts of flavors and is one of the quickest, healthiest breakfasts you can make at home or on the go.
Breakfast doesn’t get much easier than this: single-serve oatmeal cups. But to get the most nutrition, choose your oats carefully.
"Avoid instant oats. They’re made into thinner flakes and digested more quickly, which can cause spikes in your blood sugar levels. Stick to steel cut or rolled oats instead," said Trisha Calvo with Consumer Reports.
Part of what makes some oatmeals taste so good can be tons of added sugars and artificial flavors.
In fact, nearly half of the oatmeal cups Consumer Reports looked at had between 2 and a half to 4 and a half teaspoons in a serving. If you buy sweetened oatmeal, pick one with 8 grams or less of added sugars per serving.
Some oatmeal cups Consumer Reports checked out pump up the protein and fiber with highly-processed ingredients.
"Check the label for 'pea protein,' 'soy protein isolate' or 'chicory root fiber.' Avoid these processed ingredients and pick products with whole food sources of proteins and fibers like nuts and seeds, grains like quinoa or dried fruits," Calvo said.
To get the whole grain benefit without all the sugar, Consumer Reports says to try these.
Nature’s Path Organic Hot Oatmeal Maple Pecan — made from rolled oats with pecans, chia seeds, with brown and maple sugar for sweetness.
Purely Elizabeth Superfood Oatmeal has no added sugars — made with organic oats, flax and chia seeds and amaranth, you can top with a little fruit for sweetness.
And RX A.M., has 12 grams of protein mostly from egg whites and almonds which gets some sweetness from dates and has no added sugars.
A fast, healthy and hot way to start the day.
You can save money by making your own oatmeal cups at home, in batches. There are lots of recipes online, but make sure to use rolled oats. Then throw in some nuts, raisins or other dried fruits that are both sweet and healthy.
