Make Winter Warmer With Apple and Peanut Butter Oatmeal

December 28, 2010   34 Comments

Are you bored with your oatmeal? Let's give it a makeover!

Yes, Snack Girl finds oatmeal a bit dull and is always looking for ways to improve it. Here are a few suggestions:

• Use whole oats not instant - they taste better and they are fast
• Add nut butter to get more protein in the oatmeal and keep you satiated
• Add fruit

My husband started adding peanut butter to his oatmeal because he was always hungry before lunch after eating his oatmeal for breakfast. He adds a tablespoon of peanut butter (which will bring up the recipe below by 58 calories).

I started adding an apple because I have trouble getting servings of fruits and/or vegetables in every meal.

How else are you going to hit 5 per day? The nice thing about the apple is it gets really soft and adds a delicious flavor to the oatmeal.

This creates a great taste combination - apples and peanut butter! And, you have whole grains, a non-meat source of protein, and a fruit to start your day.

This also makes a great snack. This recipe will make you 4 snack size servings that you could pack in small containers. It has a pudding like consistency that might kill that cookie craving late in the day. (It also tastes great with coffee.)

Apple and Peanut Butter Oatmeal Recipe

(serves 2)
1 cup water
1 cup apple juice
1 cup rolled oats
1 apple (cored and roughly chopped)
1 teaspoon peanut butter (optional)

Combine water, apple juice, rolled oats, and apple in a small saucepan and turn heat to hight. When the water boils, turn the heat to low and cook, stirring, until the water is just absorbed, about 5 minutes. Cover the pan and turn off the heat. Five minutes later, spoon into a bowl and add 1 teaspoon peanut butter and more sugar (brown sugar, honey, maple syrup) if desired.

265 calories, 4.3 g fat, 52.2 g carbohydrates, 6.3 g protein, 6.1 g fiber, 23 mg sodium, 7 Points+

What do you add to oatmeal to dress it up?

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