Office Oatmeal of the Week

Good morning! If you're an office drone like me, you may recognize the following scenario:

6:35am: You wake up groggy, grumpy and starving. You go back to sleep.

6:50am: You wake up groggy, grumpy, starving, and in a hurry. You launch yourself out of bed and into the first appropriate work attire you can find. You brush your teeth while combing your hair.

7:00am: You fly down the stairs and into the kitchen, cursing the fact that you once again failed to prepare your lunch and breakfast in advance, and instead spent yesterday evening watching reality TV or perusing curry recipes. You throw some leftovers into your bag for lunch, but your aching, hollow stomach reminds you that you just can't skip breakfast this morning.

7:02am: You need to throw together a healthy breakfast! (See the following recipe for help!)

7:06am: You rush out the door in just enough time to catch your bus/get in your car and dive into rush hour traffic.

If this sounds familiar, you and I have something in common. To satisfy the needs of the chronically late office dweller, I will endeavour each week to offer a new oatmeal recipe which can be prepared in a flash, and eaten at the office.

Nichole's Basic Office Oatmeal

This oatmeal is nutrition packed and quick. The flaxseed meal is a great source for Omega-3 fatty acids, especially for individuals not consuming animal products. The cinnamon helps control appetite, and the orange juice keeps it fresh and interesting all the way to the bottom of the bowl.

Photo courtesy of Groovy Vegetarian

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Rolled Oats
2 Tablespoon Flaxseed Meal (I like Bob's Red Mill Whole Ground Flaxseed Meal, and it's widely available in grocery stores)
1/4 Cup Blueberries
2 Teaspoon Brown Sugar
1/4 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 Tablespoon Orange Juice
Dash of Cinnamon
Dash of Salt
Hot water

Stage 1:

Mix all ingredients except for the hot water in a small tupperware container with a tight fitting lid. Seal and throw (gently) into your purse or lunch bag.

Stage 2:

Add hot water from the water cooler to cover the oat mixture. Use more water if you like your oatmeal soupy. Allow to rest for 3-5 minutes, and enjoy! You have now had a wonderful, nutritive vegetarian breakfast.

Note: Obviously, the combinations that can make a satisfying bowl of oatmeal are endless. Fresh fruit, nuts, and other ingredients are all delicious. I highly recommend using a bit of fruit juice to keep the oatmeal interesting, in any case. However, the key to making successful office oatmeal is to use dry (enough) ingredients in Stage 1, so that the liquids don't leak out during transport. Also, don't be shy about using that hot water cooler for what it's worth!

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 308 calories

Carbohydrate: 56 grams

Fiber: 9 grams

Sugar: 6 grams

Fat: 7 grams

Cholesterol: 0 grams

Protein: 8 grams