In a breakfast world bustling with pumpkin pancakes, crispy feta eggs, and jazzed-up avocado toast, a plain bowl of oatmeal could appear to be missing a sure…oomph. Even the American Coronary heart Affiliation admits as a lot: “Oatmeal is a complete nerd,” the web site reads. However although oats might not be the “sexiest ingredient” on the market, as Washington State Journal additionally acknowledges, there’s a cause of us have been consuming them for 1000’s of years: They’re tasty, filling, and straightforward to make in a pinch—to not point out nutritious.
Due to their excessive fiber content material, oats are tremendous filling and produce an entire host of digestive advantages. They “can actually assist with regulating GI [activity] and transferring issues alongside,” making them nice for alleviating constipation, Jasmine Hormati, MS, RD, a licensed intuitive consuming counselor and the founding father of the New York Metropolis–based mostly observe Mendinground Diet, tells SELF. What’s extra, oats are additionally wealthy in various helpful nutritional vitamins and minerals, together with zinc and iron, Desiree Nielsen, RD, a recipe developer with a give attention to plant-based diet, tells SELF. Lastly, the entire grains are additionally considerable in distinctive phytochemicals generally known as avenanthramides—compounds recognized to have antioxidant, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and even anti-itching properties, amongst others.
That’s half a dozen causes to extend your oat consumption proper there. There’s only one drawback: It may be powerful to think about an oat-based meal moreover, properly, oatmeal, and who desires to eat the identical factor every day? However oats are literally far more versatile than you might suppose—they usually’re not only for mornings, both. Beneath, you’ll discover seven artistic methods to place this pantry staple to work, spanning breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Get able to reap all the advantages with out boring your style buds.
1. Whisk them along with eggs for an omelet.
Oats and eggs could sound like an odd combo, but it surely has Hormati’s seal of approval. “That is one thing that my mother truly used to do,” she says—and now she’s carrying on the custom. Crack a couple of eggs right into a bowl, add some oats (Hormati sometimes does two to a few tablespoons, however you are able to do 1 / 4 cup if you need extra), whisk all of it collectively, after which pour the combination into an empty pan (or over some sauteed veggies for those who’re so inclined). Not solely will this enhance the fiber content material, it will possibly additionally lend a refined sweetness to the omelet, Hormati says.
2. Mix them with applesauce or pumpkin puree for a pancake combine.
Having beforehand tried a model of this recipe, we will personally attest to its sheer deliciousness. Begin by combining pumpkin puree or applesauce with milk, fast oats, and somewhat little bit of cinnamon and sugar in a blender, based on Nielsen. It’s also possible to add eggs for a dose of full protein. Then, hit that “Begin” button so the spinning blades can do their factor. You’ll find yourself with what Nielsen calls a “blender pancake”— “a very nice, easy pancake combine” that not solely tastes incredible, however can be tremendous nutrient-dense.
3. Use them to bind meat or legumes…
Sizzling cooking tip: Oats have a secret superpower. Specifically, they are often substituted for flour, breadcrumbs, or something comparable, based on Nielsen. “The explanation why they’re so versatile is as a result of they’ve this form of binding and thickening capability,” Nielsen says. Mainly, that property will assist the meals maintain its construction while you prepare dinner it.
For a savory choice (that additionally occurs to be vegan!), you can also make Nielsen’s favourite falafel burger by combining smashed chickpeas, garlic, herbs, spices, and about half a cup of fast oats (to maintain every part in its correct place). But when falafel isn’t your velocity, be at liberty to do a standard meat-based dish like meatloaf, burgers, or meatballs as a substitute.
4. …and even baked items.
For a candy choice like a muffin or one other kind of pastry, the identical precept applies, based on Nielsen. You’re simply “changing somewhat little bit of the flour,” she says. To make a breakfast-style cookie that’ll maintain you energized all through the morning with out delivering an enormous dose of sugar that would tank your ranges later within the day, combine collectively nut butter, dried fruit, oats, and a pinch of flour. (It’s also possible to flip this combo into power balls or a nutrient-dense pie crust.) Or, attempt these oat and pecan brittle cookies, a Hormati fave that not solely incorporates entire oats into the dough, but in addition oat flour. “You’re getting wholesome fat from the nuts, and a few fiber from the oats,” Hormati says.
