My NUT wanted me to add steel cut oatmeal or grits to my diet. She didn't want any instant but high quality carbs. That's a great deal of mess for 2-3 ozs of oatmeal. She told me to cook a big batch and put a single serving in each cup of a muffin tin and freeze it. Now I have easy instant quality steel cut oatmeal with only one major clean up required every two weeks. Small tips help me, so I am passing along.

Good idea. I love steel cut oats.

Muffin tin cooking/freezing is the best thing ever. I use them often to control portion sizes now so I don't gain weight while I'm waiting on my date.

Edited December 14, 201411 yr by laurenella82

I'm big on adapting directions, so if you want to 100% follow your NUT's advice, ignore me. There is not a substantial difference between the hard way of making oatmeal and the easy instant way. I have done both and I far prefer the instant oatmeal, particularly the Weight Control version with has 7g of Protein. You pop it in a bowl, pour some Water in, stick it in the microwave for 90 seconds, and then, in my case I add just a bit of honey. I usually eat about half the bowl and then I'm good for a few hours. No hassle, no mess, way more protein than traditional oatmeal, better tasting, and way less irritation.

Clever advice though for the muffin tins. I have heard that you can also do that with eggs, which is another great idea for Breakfast and an easy way to add extra protein in the morning.

P.S. Until just now I read your post wrong- I thought you were complaining about the hassle of not using instant oatmeal as opposed to just sharing your idea, so not to hijack your thread or your idea, but for anyone else who may be struggling with that version, instant oatmeal has been fine for me.

Edited December 14, 201411 yr by AvaFern

That's a good tip! I make my egg whites with turkey sausage and cheese in muffin tins! It's much easier and already in appropriate servings! Plus convenient when on the go! @@OKCPirate

You can make "overnight oats" in your fridge. They show them made in mason jars but any small container with a lid will work. You can even make enough for the week all at once then just grab them from the fridge each morning. The flavor combinations are endless. I cut the recipe in half because I can't eat as much as before. I also substitute Splenda for the sugar, and use almond milk instead of milk. They're cold, but you can warm them in the microwave. Many of the recipes call for chia seeds, but you can leave then out if you want. They do have quite a bit of protein in them (and no taste), so I leave them in. I cut the recipe in half because I can't eat a full serving. They're good for snacks too. Pinterest has hundreds of recipes. It's a great time saver. Here are a couple of links: http://lovelylittlekitchen.com/overnight-steel-cut-oatmeal-plus-mix-ideas/ ; http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-steel-cut-oatmeal-in-jars-one-week-of-breakfast-in-5-minutes-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-143623