Oatmeal special – 4 unusual ways to make your oatmeal into a treat + dieting tips

Recently I’ve been really busy. Things and problems are constantly coming up, work has to be done and there is literally no time for cooking or experimenting in the kitchen. I have to admit that I’ve been eating oatmeal, quark, cottage cheese, loads of fruit and Quest bars for lunch and dinner almost every day. Not to fancy, huh? In addition, I’ve been in Poland for almost a week now visiting family. It’s been relaxing but I’m so tired of traveling and being away from home. I feel like baking would be the one true therapy I need right now.

Oh well, I’ll enjoy my days here with my family and then I’ll be heading home with some new kitchen equipment, books and protein powders. The best thing about visiting another country on vacation is that you have the time to stroll around in local super markets searching for new ingredients. I’ve brought hemp flour, whey with chocolate and sesame flavor and loads of gluten free products so I’m super stoked about getting back home! Can’t wait!

Another thing I miss is my oatmeal. I eat oatmeal for breakfast every morning even here but let’s be honest; it’s not the same thing, not at all. It’s mostly plain oatmeal without all the mix-ins I have at home (think cooked and pureed cauliflower, extracts and different non-dairy milks and spices). I actually wanted to share some of my favorite combos since I take this dish veeeery seriously. Haha, you’ll see!

So.. The combos we have are:
*Carrot cake protein bomb
– Basically grated carrots, casein powder that’s been whisked with a little splash of water and crushed almonds.

*Charming cherry
Cherries, chocolate whey blended with water on order to make a sauce and a little lemon grass.

*Creamy banoffee pie
A drizzle of Walden farms zero calorie syrup, a few slices banana, some coconut milk and dates.

*Warming pear
Nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and ginger plus some honey along with some pear slices (heat them in the micro wave for a gooey treat)

Since this just covers the toppings and variations, I still want to throw in a couple of tips in order to make your oatmeal even tastier. My best dieting tips is to blending in about half a cup or 1 dl (approx 100 g) cooked and pureed pumpkin or cauliflower in the oatmeal before cooking it. These veggies have a really mild taste and it becomes even milder once you cook it so don’t worry about the flavor! What you’ll get is more volume to your bowl of goodness for about 20 calories only! A really fair deal if you ask me.

Other than that, I love adding one egg, some egg whites or some coconut oil to my oatmeal. It helps the texture a lot and makes it much more creamier. However, if you’re a fan of a more dense and pudding-like version; go for a thickener like xantham gum or guar gum. Playing around with texture helps a dieter since it can give another mouth feeling and satisfaction.

I’ll be going over a few more tips for both diet baking and cooking as soon as I have the time to sit down and make another (hmmm) charming illustration. Stay tuned until then!