I grew up eating oatmeal. Usually Quaker oats “minute” oatmeal, must add LOTS of sugar, butter and or whole milk. Those days are long gone. My dad made the oatmeal soupy, I suppose to stretch the breakfast on cold winter mornings as thin as possible. I hate soupy oatmeal, enter – me not eating oatmeal for half a decade or so. Fast forward to now, self teaching as well as Pinterest consistently inform me on the health benefits of oatmeal. I thought I’d give it another try … but with my own interestingly healthy spin.

What I used

• Rolled oats (red mill)
• Fresh strawberry slices
• Flax seed meal
• Banana slices
• Peanut Butter
•  4 – 16 ounce mason jars

What I did

• Prepare the oatmeal as directed. I doubled the recipe, to make it stretch for the week (2 cups). I also added a cinnamon stick to the water before adding the oats. Let them cool while you cut up whatever fruits you will add.
• Slice fruit
• Fill your mason jars halfway full with oatmeal
• Layer in the fruit, theres no wrong way to do this. Generally I use 2 sliced strawberries and half a banana in each jar.
• Sprinkle on a tablespoon of flax meal (more fiber & protein)
• Add a dollop of your favorite peanut butter. The PB will melt into gooey greatness when you reheat for breakfast. 2 minutes in the microwave is all it should take.

This habit is a winner in the cold months. Oatmeal is warm and filling and the fruits add texture and a fresh aspect. Peanut butter and flax keep you full and offer plenty of protein to get you going in the morning.