Breakfast can come together quickly with this simple oatmeal, sweetened with applesauce and coconut sugar, that will fill your belly.
Grandpa’s Special Oatmeal Bowl
When I was little, we lived in my grandparent’s basement while my dad was going to school. I remember going upstairs into my grandparents house in the morning and seeing my grandpa eating his morning bowl of oatmeal.
The bowl he used was more like a mixing bowl and it was the exact same one everyday. It was made out of melamine and it was speckled, like an Easter egg.
Sometimes Grandpa would share his oatmeal with me. It was so creamy and delicious. I’m pretty sure Grandma made it special with large chunks of butter.
Passing on Food
Regretably, my grandpa passed away when I was eight, so I don’t have lots of other memories of him. I’m grateful for those oatmeal mornings with him all those years ago.
Maybe that’s why I like oatmeal. Thanks Grandpa!
Tips For Getting Kids to Eat Oatmeal
Oatmeal can be a quick, yummy, warm breakfast. If you have kids that don’t love oatmeal, let them sprinkle on some add-ins. It might make it more appealing.
Simple things like nuts, hemp hearts, raisins or flax seed can boost the nutrition but if those things aren’t enticing enough, include some chopped up strawberries or bananas, frozen blueberries, or even mini chocolate chips.
If you buy freeze dried fruit (they carry this brand at our local Walmart), you can pulse it in a blender or a food processor, making it into powder. Those colorful powders can be fun “sprinkles” for the top of oatmeal for an especially reluctant child or adult :). No judgment here!
If your stomach has a hard time with oatmeal, it could be that your body is having a difficult time digesting the grain. Try a sprouted variety (see notes for more info) (I buy this one at Costco) or you can even soak (see notes for details) the oatmeal overnight, which can help with digestibility.
Simple Applesauce Oatmeal
6 cups of water
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 ½ – 3 cups of oats – rolled oats, Coaches Oats, or oat groats(they will take a little longer to cook) *See notes
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
½ cup coconut sugar or honey
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Bring the water to a boil. Next, add the oatmeal. Third, cook until oatmeal is soft and thickened. When the oatmeal has reached desired consistency remove from heat and add applesauce, sweetener of choice and cinnamon. Stir well. Scoop into bowls; serve with milk and a swirl of pure maple syrup, if desired or special toppings!
Tweak It Notes
- Depending on the type of oats you choose, your water to oatmeal ratio will be different. Follow package directions to cook the oatmeal you choose.
- What the heck is a sprouted grain?
Sprouting a grain is just encouraging the grain to grow, like you would for a garden. You put the grain in a moist environment until it begins to sprout. A sprouted grain will eventually turn into a new plant if you let it continue to grow.
However, once the grain starts to sprout it is removed from the moist environment and then dried. Once the grain is completely dried it can be ground into flour or rolled into rolled oats. This germinating process can help with the digestion of the grain for some people because it helps break down some of the starches and phytic acid naturally found in the grain. The nutrients and vitamins in the grain can be more easily absorbed when both the phytic acid and the starches are broken down.
You can sprout your own grains at home or you can buy sprouted grains or flour.
- How to soak grains
Soaking and sprouting are two different methods to hopefully do the same thing, break down the phytic acid and starch and make the nutrients more absorbable. They both may help with digestion. On packages of oatmeal in the “olden days” it actually said to soak the oatmeal overnight before cooking it. We miss a lot of that good old fashion knowledge in our modern “instant” world.
To soak the oats in this recipe, you need to start the night before. Put the 2½-3 cups of oats into a glass bowl and cover the oats completely with clean water. Add 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. Stir well. Cover the bowl and leave on the counter overnight.
In the morning, when you are ready to cook your oats, pour off any water that hasn’t been absorbed, if there is any. Transfer the oats to a medium saucepan. Add clean water. You will probably need between 1-2 cups of water. Soaked oats cook very quickly too. It will take less than five minutes to cook once they are boiling. Once cooked to desired consistency, follow the rest of the recipe as written.
