Tuesday, January 24, 2012

National Oatmeal Month

January is National Oatmeal Month. 
For me, every month is Oatmeal Month. I have diabetes. Oats are low in on the Glycemic Index which is because they are the only cereal containing a globulin or legume-like protein, avenalin, as the major (80%) storage protein. This is why it makes sense for me to eat them, in some form or other, for breakfast almost everyday. 

Sometimes in porridge with butter and salt, or milk and Splenda. Beware of "instant" oatmeal. It is loaded with sugar and it is just as fast and easy to scoop a ½ C. of "Old fashioned rolled oats" in a bowl with water and microwave for about 2 minutes. No sugar, no preservatives. Just good nutrition.

Sometimes raw with milk or yoghurt, and fruit. This is known as Müesli in Swiss German. It was introduced around 1900 by the Swiss physician Maximilian Bircher-Benner for patients in his hospital. It was inspired by a similar dish that he and his wife had been served on a hike in the Swiss Alps. It is esecially nice in the warmer months




Bircher-Benner himself referred to the dish simply as "kSpys". (Swiss German for "the dish")









Sometimes I bake a kind of cookie made with a ½ C. oats, Splenda to taste, yoghurt to moisten, salt, oil, and fruit (Raisins, chopped apple with a little cinnamon, chopped pears with cardamom). I bake it in my toaster oven for about 15 minutes. Makes a nice change from porridge in the winter.

I occasionally make pancakes with oatmeal, using ½ whole wheat pancake mix and ½ rolled oats, yoghurt, egg, salt and oil. Not bad, for a change. I like to eat them in the English way, sprinkled with a squeeze of fresh lemon and a sprinkle of Splenda.

Oats are a staple in most Northern European countries. With tomorrow being Burns Night, I am adding a  little bow to Scotland with some nice Highland oat cakes. How delicious with a nice cup of milky tea on a rainy afternoon.
Be healthy and enjoy a good breakfast of oats. 



7 comments:

Sarah said...

We eat oatmeal most mornings. ;-)

Pondside said...

I grew up on porridge but rarely eat it anymore because no one else here likes it. You make it sound so easy to make enough for myself - I'll have to try it again.

Mickle in NZ said...

My dear Dad prefers porridge every morning - a microwave oven certainly means it is easy to make and clean up after!

He has type 2 diabetes and, like you, is a slim thing. Dad manages the diabetes entirely through his diet and can still enjoy marmalade on his breakfast toast - either orange or lime marmalade made by himself!

Priscilla said...

Mmmmm orange marmalade, my favorite I buy the sugarless variety and enjoy it on my whole wheat toast on those rare weekend mornings that I have a fry-up.
I'm glad he is controlling his Type II.

Ricki Treleaven said...

I love oatmeal, and I eat it almost everyday.

xoxoxox,
Ricki Jill

Adrienne said...

We love real oatmeal here. I make it the "German" way using milk (skim) instead of water. Sometimes I mix it all the night before, stick it in the fridge overnight, and just heat it up in the mivrowave in the morning.

Snoqualmie Falls Mills oatmeal is our favorite.

Priscilla said...

That's a good one.

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