Dorm Eating: The Power of Oatmeal

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One of my favorite breakfasts as a college student is oatmeal. So if you are grain free, you may want to skip this post. 🙂 For the rest of you, though, oatmeal is a great college breakfast. It is easy and quick to make and there are endless possibilities for customization. All it takes is oats, toppings, a bowl and spoon, and a means of boiling water, be it a hot pot, microwave, stove, or even coffee maker.

Today I am going to share 3 levels of making oatmeal, depending on the amount of time you have, as well as my “ultimate” oatmeal recipe. Really, that’s just my favorite way of making oatmeal healthy and delicious.

Overnight Method

If you are good at planning ahead and want your oats to be easier to digest, check out this recipe for soaked oatmeal. It is easy to make and quite good! I soaked mine with the ACV I always keep around.

College adaptation: only boiling the second half of the water is not enough to cook the oats. You can microwave everything or, if you’re like me and only have a hot pot, pour the soaked oats and extra water in the hot pot and cook. Make sure you stir regularly and pour water into the bottom of the hot pot as soon as you pour out the oatmeal, otherwise what is left will burn to the still very hot bottom. Go on, ask me how I know that.

5-Minute Method

On the other end of the spectrum, if you are in a hurry, here is a great method for oatmeal on the go. With just the time to boil water and a mason jar, you have a nice, transportable breakfast! Oh, and you need the ingredients, of course.

Traditional Method

I believe that sitting down and eating breakfast is very important. Greet the day and take it easy. Wake up early enough to enjoy your food and not wolf it down while stressed about running late or making sure you are getting all your notes written down.

So for those who didn’t soak their oatmeal over night and want to eat it in their dorm room, simply measure out the oatmeal you want (about a 1/2 cup) into a bowl, then boil the water you need (about a cup). Pour water into the bowl. If you do not have measuring utensils, it is okay to eye-ball it. Just make sure that the oats are completely covered by the water. Once you have made oatmeal as often as I have, this eye-balling is easy to do. Cover and wait 5 minutes. And mix ins. Enjoy!

The following is what I like to do for a hearty with a bit of protein:

Print Recipe

The “Ultimate” Oatmeal

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time5 minutes mins

Total Time10 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast

Keyword: Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Gluten-Free, Oatmeal

Servings: 1 serving

Ingredients

• 1/2 c oats
• 1 c water
• 1 tbsp ground flax seed
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2-1 tbsp honey
• 1/2-1 tbsp gelatin or collagen
• Dried fruit optional

Instructions

• Bring water to a boil. While waiting, measure out the oats into a bowl.
• Add water to oats. Cover and let rest for about 5 minutes, or until the oats are cooked and the water is absorbed.
• Add flax seed, cinnamon, and honey. Stir.
• Slowly sprinkle gelatin over the oats and mix in. If you add it in a large clump, it will stay in a large clump. No fun.
• Mix in dried fruit if desired.
• Enjoy!

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