  Breakfast Oatmeal is the healthiest, most versatile breakfast meal you could ever have. If you have never had oatmeal, you are seriously missing out. Oatmeal is so creamy, warm, and easy to digest. It makes for the perfect addition to your daily life. The health benefits of oatmeal are more the reason why you should give oatmeal a try! Let me share some of them with you. Oatmeal is remarkably high in fiber which is excellent for those struggling with constipation issues or IBS or just to maintain your health in general! It is also a very filling breakfast loaded with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, making for a great weight loss meal as well. Lastly, oatmeal is considered a ânutrient-dense foodâ and is higher in protein and fats than most other grains. Not the bad fats, though, the good ones đAnd if you have already been a fan of oatmeal more power to you!Â
              So how did I become an advocate for all things oatmeal? Let me tell you a little story. Over quarantine and this Covid era, I have grown to love oatmeal more than I already did. I used to buy instant oatmeal packets, which were loaded in sugar and heavily processed, which left me with an uneasy feeling in my stomach. But I continued to eat them because I loved the taste of oatmeal. I knew I had to find an alternative to enjoying my favorite breakfast, so I discovered Instagram recipes for homemade oats. And let me tell you, once I started making homemade oats, I never returned to packaged instant oats. I still make quick oats, but they are much less sugary, healthier, and make me feel amazing! A TikToker, with the tag @tracesoats, inspired me to begin making my own oatmeal. His page was full of aesthetically pleasing, ooey-gooey goodness, and I knew I just had to try! So, I grabbed all the ingredients from the store and followed his recipes, making my first oatmeal bowl: Strawberry Biscoff oats. If you are not familiar with Biscoff, you NEED to try it. It is a creamy cookie butter that tastes amazing on a warm bowl of oatmeal. I owe my love for oatmeal to his account.
              After making my first bowl, I was hooked! The possibilities with oatmeal are endless. This is where oatmealâs versatility plays in. Oats can be made baked, microwaved, or made on the stove. I prefer microwaveable oats because they are the fastest, which is especially helpful for busy college students. You can add any toppings you want to oatmeal! If you have a hard time eating fruits, add them to your oatmeal, and youâll eat fruits like a pro! In addition to the traditional bowl of oatmeal, you can use oats to make cookies, pancakes, waffles, and crepes; literally a healthy version of any breakfast food your heart desires! Donât even get me started on oat milk. The royalty of all kinds of milk, that is. Add it to your next coffee or oatmeal bowl for extra creaminess; you wonât regret it. Thatâs as versatile as it gets. If youâre sold, check out @tracesoats Instagram and TikTok to start your obsession with oats as I did mine đ  Â
Hereâs my favorite recipe:Â
Ingredients
– ½ cup Quaker minute oats
– 1 tbsp maple syrup, date syrup for sweetener
– Splash of vanilla extract
– 1 cup milk (I use almond or oat milk!)
– Pinch of salt
Toppings
– Biscoff (1 tbsp)
– Strawberries
– Blueberries
Directions
Add all your ingredients into a bowl, heat in microwave for 1 minute and 10 seconds, add toppings, and enjoy !!