Make Ahead Oatmeal

I love oatmeal, just not plain porridge. I love dressing it up with nuts, raisins or apples, and spices. I love adding maple syrup and a bit of dark brown sugar to finish it off, with a bit of milk before serving to make it just a little creamy. Making a large batch of oatmeal ahead of time means I get to have 4 servings of oatmeal for the work price of 1! Which means mornings are more delicious and not quite as much work.

Oh, and if you want to know the difference between porridge and oatmeal, read this article here.

I worked my recipe out in My Fitness Pal, so I can include nutritional information for you today :)

1 1/3 c. large flake oats
3 c. water
3/4 c. pecan halves
3/4 c. thompson raisins (my favorite kind of raisin), other dried fruit, diced fresh applies, etc.
1.5 tsp ground saigon cinnamon
pinch of salt (about 1/4 tsp at the most)
1/8 c. medium maple syrup (4 tbsp)
~3 tbsp dark brown sugar (it works out to about 2 tsp/serving)

Make oatmeal, adding oats, pecans, fruit, cinnamon, and salt to the pot. You can follow package directions, or just throw it all together helter-skelter as I do- mix it all together, bring to a boil, stir, turn down to a simmer for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, remove from heat, stir some more. It might stick to the bottom of the pot, but that can be mixed in as well- unless it's burnt, and mine has never burned.

To prepare breakfast in advance, separate the contents of the pot into 4 generous single servings in 4 microwave-safe lidded containers- mason jars, containers, etc. Add 1 tbsp of maple syrup and about 2 tsp of brown sugar (or to taste- I have a bit of a sweet tooth) to each container, Let them cool a bit, pop them in the fridge, and enjoy them for the next few days, heating before serving. 

Nutritional Information based on recipe as above using Thompson raisins, per serving:


Calories: 440
Carbs 66
Protein 7
Fat 17
Fiber 6
Sodium 143

It looks like a lot of calories, but you definitely don't need a mid-morning snack- at least, I don't. The biggest calorie content comes from the nuts and raisins, but I consider those high nutrition sources of calories, so I don't balk at them. Here's some nutritional facts about raisins, and some for pecans.

If you want to remove some of the added sugar, the maple syrup has added about 40 cal. per serving, and the sugar about 34.