Clean Eating Gingerbread Oatmeal Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the healthiest way to make oatmeal? ›

Think Beyond Water. For a boost of calcium and creamy flavor, make oatmeal with low-fat milk or plant-based milk instead of water. Or try making it with apple cider instead for a boost of flavor. The ratio of liquid to oats stays the same, so you can easily make this switch.

One of my favorite ways to make oatmeal taste good without adding any sugar is to add a super ripe mashed banana to the bowl before adding the oats and milk. It makes it nice and sweet and creamy! I also love adding berries to oatmeal (if they are frozen, add them before cooking, otherwise, add them after it's cooked).

High-sugar toppings like chocolate, syrup, and dried fruit

As Best points out, "some of the worst ingredients that are mistakenly added to healthy overnight oat recipes include chocolate sauce, sugar, syrup, and dried fruit."

Cook until the milk is absorbed and the oats are thickening. Add cinnamon, ginger and vanilla and cook until oatmeal is thick. Serve hot and garnish with coconut or chopped nuts.

To sweeten oatmeal without going overboard on refined sugar, try these additions: Fresh fruit: berries, bananas, apples, peaches, mango, or pears.

"Steel-cut oats can absorb more water than instant oats, and they're also superior to instant oatmeal because they are less processed and have a better nutrient profile,” she says. You can also spruce up your oatmeal with healthy toppings like fresh fruit.

BariWise Instant Protein Oatmeal, Maple & Brown Sugar, No Sugar, Gluten Free, Low Carb (7ct)

Mix 1 cup of granulated sugar with 1 tablespoon of molasses to mimic a cup of light brown sugar. Mix 1 cup of granulated sugar with 2 tablespoons of molasses to mimic a cup of dark brown sugar. If you don't have molasses on hand, you can combine white sugar with another liquid sweetener, like maple syrup or honey.

Oatmeal is likely safe for most people, including pregnant and breastfeeding women, when consumed as food. However, it may cause gas and bloating in some.

Is there anything negative about eating oatmeal? ›

Oats can cause gas and bloating. To minimize side effects, start with a low dose and increase slowly to the desired amount. Your body will get used to oat bran and the side effects will likely go away. When applied to the skin: Lotion containing oat extract is possibly safe to use on the skin.

Possible Interactions

Blood-thinning medications: Ginger may increase the risk of bleeding. Talk to your doctor before taking ginger if you take blood thinners, such as warfarin (Coumadin), clopidogrel (Plavix), or aspirin. Diabetes medications: Ginger may lower blood sugar.

Avoid using ginger together with other herbal/health supplements that can lower blood sugar, such as alpha-lipoic acid, chromium, damiana, devil's claw, fenugreek, garlic, guar gum, horse chestnut, Panax ginseng, psyllium, Siberian ginseng, and others.

To get all the goodness of the ginger, let the slices steep for at least 10 minutes. Ginger tea is a healthier alternative to ginger ale, ginger beer and other commercial canned or bottled ginger beverages. These drinks provide ginger's benefits, but many contain a lot of sugar.

Milk not only gives your oats a creamy and slightly sweet taste but it also packs in extra nutrients like calcium and protein, making your breakfast even healthier.

Is it better to eat cooked or raw oats? Cooked oats might be easier to digest for some, as cooking helps break down the starch they contain. However, neither way to eat oats is better or worse.

Oatmeal is usually tastier with milk than water because milk adds creaminess and flavor. For those who can consume dairy, using milk can enhance the overall flavor, protein content, and creaminess of an oatmeal bowl compared to using water.

Microwaving. (I know, surprising, right?) Although the microwave gets vilified for sapping nutrients out of some foods and leaving others crusty and dry, it has no such effects on oats. In fact, microwaving is a super-simple, lightning-fast way to get breakfast on the table, stat.