A Tale of 3 Oatmeals

Mama Bear and her 2 Baby Bears Bowls of Oatmeal!

So it's been awhile since I've posted any sort of healthy recipe or fitness talk because of my hectic schedule lately, but rest assured all is well and I should be posting more frequently soon!  In the meantime please be sure to follow me on Twitter or my Instagram feed, because I literally post what I eat like crazy, if you are looking for healthier options (or even indulgences). :)

This morning I woke up with a decidedly ravenous appetite for a good bowl of old fashion rolled oats (a.k.a. oatmeal) and I wanted to share with you how we eat it in our household.  This morning I made breakfast for myself, our 6 year old and our 9 year old boys and we each like our oatmeal in our own customized way, so I wanted to share them with you.

I will start with mine first, because I've most likely tweeted about this, so this may be old news to some, but nonetheless, here is how I do my oatmeal:

Yes, pretty much I'm addicted to blueberries, and tend to stuff them in my mouth whenever I can (hey, what can I say...I must be starved for antioxidants!) ;)
Ingredients for the Blueberry Flax Bowl:

Old Fashioned Oats (not instant), Ground Flaxseed, Blueberries & Artificial Sweetener

Our eldest son, who is 9 years old, is a Peanut Butter Monster ;), so here is what his bowl looks like:

Ingredients for the PB Bowl!

Old Fashioned Oats, All Natural Chunky Peanut Butter (NO added sugars and NO added oils, just straight-up mashed-up peanuts!), Artificial Sweetener.  (Optional: If you like the "Reese's Peanut Butter" taste, you could sprinkle a few dark chocolate chips into your bowl and stir them up!  Mmmm! Chocolatey-Peanut-buttery goodness! :)

Our youngest, who is 6, is still pretty picky about "extra stuff" in his dishes, but for some reason he loves cinnamon, so that is good!  His is pretty simple and looks like this: 

Ingredients for the Cinnamon "Sugar" Bowl:

Old Fashioned Oatmeal, Ground Cinnamon, Artificial Sweetener

In each bowl I served up just a little over 1/2 half cup each.  Typically a serving size is 1 whole cup, but I had also decided to serve egg whites & turkey bacon, so we went a little lighter on the oatmeal.  All in all oatmeal is a very healthy breakfast, and especially with the addition of flax seed, which is full of healthy benefits (you can learn more about flax seed in my previous article, My Favorite Protein Smoothie Recipe  ) A bowl of oatmeal helps to keep you feeling more full until lunchtime, especially if you add an additional protein, such as egg whites as a side.

Do you love to eat oatmeal?  If so, how do you eat it?  I'd love to hear your customized versions so I can possibly expand my horizons a bit... from my blueberries! :)

I purchased all items mentioned in this article.