The Perfect Oatmeal
I've written several serious posts recently and I decided it was time for something a little bit more lighthearted.
When recovering from an eating disorder, it is very easy to get stuck in a rut. We go through meals like robots. Our minds still perform countless calculations a minute as we strategically compose our meals to fit the "plan."
It doesn't matter what treatment center you go to; the plan is complicated. Whether you call them exchanges or items, the does and don'ts of a meal plan can be overwhelming. So we simplify it and then we stick to it. Some of us get stuck eating the same breakfast every day...the same lunch every day...the same snack every day. You get the idea.
When such a pattern catches the attention of your dietitian, you are likely to see a sheet of paper stapled to your food logs. A list of 20 different sandwiches you could make. A chart full of different snack options. Pictures of 7 different breakfast ideas.
It can actually be quite helpful. Even for people without eating disorders.
I received one such list (ok, ok...all of the lists). But one of the breakfast ideas actually caught my interest: overnight oats. If you haven't heard, it's a serious thing these days. The general idea is that you soak oats in milk and/or yogurt overnight. The next morning you can add pretty much anything your little heart desires. Google "overnight oats" or look it up on Pinterest and you will be overwhelmed with the countless recipes. You almost don't know where to begin.
But I have 2 issues with the overnight oats craze:
It is not very yummy to eat overnight oats cold. The recipe my dietitian gave me did not say whether or not to heat the oats up the next morning, so I had to Google it. In my research I discovered that most recipes instruct you to eat your overnight oats cold. Ew. I tried, folks. I like to do things the "right" way, but this just wasn't going to happen. I caved and threw my oats in the microwave. Now they're delicious. I don't care if it's wrong; I will always microwave my overnight oats.
The whole mason jar thing. Nearly EVERY picture you see of overnight oats displays the oats with all their glorious toppings carefully placed in a mason jar. They're beautiful. Who wouldn't want to eat the stuff? Except you can't. Ok? Really. Look at one of those pictures and think about it. The only way to actually eat the stuff (and not just drool over how perfect it looks) is to eat the toppings first, then eat the cold oats. The opening of the mason jar makes it impossible to stir everything together without making a mess and loosing half the toppings on the kitchen floor. It doesn't make any sense.
I'm not going to give you a recipe because there are already plenty out there. I have nothing unique to offer you ingredient wise. I will, however, reveal my secret to the perfect overnight oats:
Forget the mason jar. Fix your oats in a tupperware container, then dump them in a regular boring bowl before adding your ingredients the next morning.
Microwave your oats before eating them. One minute should do the trick.
Your tummy will thank you.