Spice It Up: Oatmeal
Call me crazy, but what is more agonizing than being bloated and crampy during your hump-day cardio session? Being regular is the most understated comfort of the modern world and I know as well as you do that it is impossible to feel 100% when the poop-fairy evades you. Yes - I just used the word poop.
I'm sure I don't have to tell you twice that oatmeal is one amazing way to keep your regularity in check because it is loaded with soluble fiber. The only catch is that plain mushy oatmeal for breakfast is about as exciting as a trip to the DMV. That's why I have done some serious digging to find the most delicious ways to spruce up your boring oatmeal routine (and don't worry, no sugar is required to get this job done).
Chai Oatmeal
If you have never had a cup o' chai, then stop reading this immediately and go find some! It is so tasty I would not feel right about putting you through one more paragraph of a chai-less existence. This oatmeal recipe is jam packed with that Christmas flavor and may be just what you need to start looking at oatmeal in another way! Just add milk, salt, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, turmeric, honey, and vanilla extract to your bowl of oatmeal and it will practically eat itself. Enjoy!
Blueberry Baked Oatmeal
Many of you who appreciate good texture in a food may be struggling with the mushiness of oatmeal. Here's the thing: nobody ever said that oatmeal was only good for you if eaten in the form of mush. Goldilocks may have settled too soon on that bowl of temperature-perfect porridge because this recipe is going to absolutely blow your mind. You will need: ½ cup dry oats, 1 cup of water, ½ scoop of vanilla whey protein powder, 3 egg whites, â...€º teaspoon baking powder, a small handful of blueberries, and a dash of cinnamon.
All you need to do is set the oven for 350 degrees, mix all the ingredients together in a pan, and bake for 30 minutes! You can even make this on meal prep day and have the leftovers all week! Bon appétit!
Sweeter Than Pie Apple Oatmeal
This recipe (courtesy of BodyBuilding.com) brings chunks of melty Apple Pie Quest Bar into the mix for a flavor blast that will double as a protein hit to start your morning off right. What you will need is: ½ cup of rolled oats, 1 cup of water, ½ an apple cored and chopped, 1 Apple Pie Quest bar, 1 tablespoon of cinnamon, 2 tablespoons of stevia, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon of vanilla.
Bring the water to a boil then add the oats, chopped apple, cinnamon, nutmeg, Stevia and vanilla extract to the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Put the mixture into two separate bowls, top with quest bar pieces and put in the microwave for ten seconds. Not too shabby for oatmeal, eh?
I like to put a spoonful of peanut butter or peanut butter (or chocolate) protein powder in my oatmeal, and banana is a pretty spectacular add-in on a carb-load day. Adding pieces of Quest Bar is ALWAYS a good idea as it gets pretty melty and delicious when heated. You can also never go wrong with some cinnamon and vanilla extract. Hopefully this has brought some light to the darkness of your oatmeal mornings and enlightened you with some ideas on how to make oatmeal pretty darn delicious.
This post was brought to us by 6 Pack's resident social media badass, Jade. Check out her other posts on body types and metabolism, good fats vs. bad fats, and wild vs. farmed salmon. Don't forget to come back for our Meal Prep Sunday recipes, and browse all the 6 Pack gear here!