Perfect for Cold Weather Oatmeal

I hope everyone is enjoying the weather change as much as I am. There is nothing better than waking up to December's cool brisk air and then sitting down to the breakfast table with a hot bowl of oatmeal and a hot cup of tea or coffee.

No matter how you slice it, oats are delicious and nutritious!
1 cup of the oatmeal recipe below provides roughly 4.8g of fiber - you've heard of fiber, right?

1.Fiber is Found in whole grains (such as oats), fruits, vegetables, and legumes/beans
2. Fiber containing foods are Frequently Fat Free
3. Fiber makes you Feel Full, and
4. Fiber help Fight certain cancers and diseases by removing toxins, hormones, and cholesterol from your body.

One of my staff RD's favorite oatmeal recipes comes from the book Breaking the Food Seduction by Neal Barnard, MD; recipe by Jo Stepaniak. The recipe can also be found at www.nutritionMD.org/recipes

I like it because of the many variations that are possible; that is, you can substitute raisins for apricots or apples and you'll have a totally different dish. The traditional recipe "Cinnamon-Raisin Oatmeal" calls for 4 cups water, 2 cups old fashioned oats, 1/2 cup raisins, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp salt, and fortified vanilla soy/rice milk (optional). The recipe makes 4-6 servings.

Directions: Combine all ingredients, except milk, in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, or until cooked to your liking. Serve plain or with vanilla soy/rice milk, if desired. 1 cup = 210 Calories, 2.6g Fat, 7g Protein, and 42g Carbohydrates.