I did not grow up eating oatmeal. Yuck...I am just not a fan! The appearance and the texture of it makes my stomach turn. The only time I can remember ever purposefully asking for it was when I tried Weight Watchers in high school.
Despite my misgivings about it, oatmeal is very nutritious. It packs in lots of fiber which can help you feel fuller longer and also lower your cholesterol. How does it do this? The soluble fiber that oats contain reduces the absorption of LDL cholesterol (the bad stuff) in your bloodstream. For lack of a better explanation, it "soaks it up" and moves it out of your body.
Apart from granola, this recipe for Baked Oatmeal is my favorite way to have eat oats! It isn`t gross in appearance like regular oatmeal, yet it still packs in the same health benefits. Give it a try and let me know what you think!
This is the base recipe I used from Taste of Home: Baked Oatmeal Recipe
However, I made a "dark chocolate-coconut" variation by adding the following prior to baking:
1/2 c sweetened shredded coconut
3/4 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 c chopped walnuts (or pecans)
additional 1/4 c skim milk
*I also recommend using skim milk because the additional fat is unecessary!
Other add-ins/variations to this recipe...
Cran-Orange Baked Oatmeal: Add 1/2 c orange juice, 3/4 c dried cranberries, 1/2 c chopped walnuts prior to baking.
Banana-Nut Baked Oatmeal: Add 1 c bananas (chopped/chunked), 1/2 c chopped walnuts or pecans, additional 1/4 c skim milk prior to baking.
Apple-Cinnamon-Raisin Baked Oatmeal: Add 1 c raisins, 1 c unsweetened apple sauce, and double the cinnamon prior to baking.
*Sources: Taste of Home
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