By Jenna Jauregui
Digital Media Manager
Photo Credits:
Thumbnail Image: Chelsea Jauregui
Article Image: methodsofhealing.com
When faced with a tight food budget, many college students turn to Ramen noodles and the fast-food dollar menu—meals that satisfy the wallet but not always the appetite. If you are among the droves of starving students who find their bank accounts running dry after buying parking permits and textbooks, allow me to introduce you to an old friend you may have forgotten: oatmeal!
A delicious, hot comfort food, oatmeal is an incredibly filling, nutritious grain that can substitute as breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert. According to versagrain.com, oats provide both soluble fiber, which lowers bad cholesterol, and insoluble fiber that can keep you… “regular.” In addition, oats boost your immune system, provide several vitamins and minerals, and may help prevent certain cancers. Quick oats can be cooked in just minutes, and smart shoppers can bring the price per bowl down to mere pennies. Here are three sweet ideas to zing up this great grain and add even more nutrients.
- 1. Pumpkin Pie
- ½ cup quick oats
- ¼ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
- allspice, honey, and brown sugar to taste
- 2. Carrot Cake
- ½ cup quick oats
- ¼ cup shredded carrot (cooked)
- 2 tbsp. vanilla yogurt
- cinnamon to taste
- 3. Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie
- ½ cup quick oats
- 1 packet hot chocolate
- 1 tbsp. peanut butter
Everyone prepares their oatmeal different ways—some like it hot, some like it cold, some like it in the pot nine days old (as the rhyme goes, though I do not support that plan). Cook it how you like it! Throw in some nuts, some fruit, or whatever you think sounds delicious. Get beyond the raisin rut! Pop the bowl in the microwave, and you have a delicious hot meal in just minutes. Have fun experimenting!
Ciao, my oatmeal-savvy students!
The Cookin’ Cougar