6 Mistakes You’re Making With Your Oatmeal
A warm bowl of oats is one of the healthiest, most satisfying breakfasts you can have—if you make it right.
A bad breakfast can kind of crush your soul. If you’ve ever choked down a sad granola bar, rubbery eggs, or a dry scone before a morning run, you know the weirdly depressing effect that these things can have on your day. But perhaps the worst offender is bad oatmeal—you know, the kind that somehow morphs itself into wallpaper paste on your stovetop.
It’s all too easy to transform this wholesome, fiber-rich grain into something seriously depressing. So in the name of happier mornings, here’s six common oatmeal mess-ups, and how to put an end to them.
Making It With Water Instead of Milk
You’ve probably heard that oatmeal is a super-satisfying breakfast that’ll keep you feeling full until lunch. That’s true, but only if you make it with a liquid that contains protein. So, not water.
Instead cook your oats in regular dairy milk or unsweetened soymilk. Rather use almond or coconut milk? That’s fine, as both will lend a little bit of extra heft and creaminess. But since they’re still pretty low in protein, you’ll need another source—like nuts, seeds, or some sort of nut butter.
Using the Wrong Size Container
You might not feel the need to bust out the giant soup pot if you’re making breakfast for one. But oatmeal has a viscous texture that’s really great at forming big bubbles. And if you use a small cooking vessel, you’re pretty much asking for your porridge to spill over and make a gigantic mess on your stovetop.
Ditto for cooking your oats in a smallish bowl in the microwave. Bigger, deeper bowls can go a long way toward preventing a spillover.
Adding Your Oats at the Wrong Time
Leaving Out the Salt
Whether you’re making savory or sweet oatmeal, you need to add a pinch of salt. Always.
Related: How Much Salt Do Runners Really Need?
Do it at the beginning of cooking, and your porridge will taste nutty, toasty, and delicious—not boring and glue-like. (If you do it at the end, then your oatmeal will just taste weirdly salty. Try not to do that.)
Forgetting to Stir
Stirring helps break up all those bubbles before they get too big, so you’re less likely to end up with an explosion. If you’re microwaving, keep a close eye on your oats and give them a good stir every 45 seconds or so. If you’re cooking on the stovetop, just stir your porridge frequently. You’ll stop big bubbles in their tracks. But also, all that stirring will help your oats release extra starch, giving your oatmeal a creamier texture.
Related: The Best Foods For Runners
Not Cooking Them Long Enough
Rolled oats cook up into a dreamy porridge pretty quick. But they’re not instant. They need some time to soak up their cooking liquid in order to get soft and creamy and delicious. So let them do their thing for 5 minutes or so before digging in. Your patience will be rewarded.
The article 6 Mistakes You're Making With Your Oatmeal originally appeared on Prevention.
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