Simple Oatmeal for little ones

Are you struggling to get your little ones to eat a healthy breakfast? You’re not alone. This healthy oatmeal recipe has worked every time for my little picky eaters. It is easy to make, budget-friendly, and taste delicious!

I have been enjoying oats for a few years on my hunt for healthy living. Little did i know oats would be my rescue meal for many years. Our children love and enjoy them. We cut out oatmeal for about 6 months to see if this was causing the eczema on our daughter, which worked, or so we thought. Come summer, eczema came back at full roar and without the oatmeal. We incorporated oats back in our diet, and we are still trying to figure out the cause of the eczema. Regardless, oats are back in our diet, and deliciously topped with fruits, fresh or dry.

Why we love it

This oatmeal is creamy, naturally sweet, and there are a variety of toppings to choose from to make it flavorful and to your liking. For example, my husband loves chocolate, he adds anything chocolate from chocolate bars to chocolate syrup. To me its not the healthiest but that’s the only way to get him to enjoy some nutrition. I do not recommend that for children, as parents, we still have a say so for their health.

We love making this recipe when our little ones have had processed foods or dairy. Because It helps clean out their system to avoid many days of constipation from the dairy or processed foods. Also, This makes for a simple meal any time of the day. We sometimes rotate oatmeal between breakfast, lunch, or dinner. For example, Monday mornings are usually a must have oats to start the week right. Mid week last minute meal, we make oats. Regardless of our children being picky eaters, this healthy oatmeal recipe is one they still love to enjoy with honey and bananas on a Saturday morning.

Oats are extremely versatile, they are great to have on hand for last minute meals. Aside for overnight oats, they work great for pancakes, cakes, and muffins. Buying in bulk is awesome, if you can afford it, Its cheaper in the long run. It is okay to buy weekly, since the shelf life to oats is about a year.

Why oatmeal is great for picky toddlers

This recipe contains healthy ingredients that will not stress our bodies during digestion. It is soothing and gentle due to the fiber it contains. It is heart healthy. Reduces cholesterol and blood pressure. The texture is toddler friendly.

Furthermore, oatmeal can also be made when you are on a budget or simply broke. You can feed a whole family of four with little ones with just one cup of rolled oats. Therefore, wherever you stand in life with financial shortage or picky eaters, oatmeal is your life saver.

Rolled oats are nutritional and gives you more time in the day to get things done because it is quick to make. You can enjoy over night oats for the road when running late. Overall, it is easy to make, toddler approved, and can be dairy free.

What you will need

Rolled Oats: We have tried rolled oats, instant oats, and gluten free oats (gluten free is usually for those who suffer from Coeliac disease)
Cinnamon: to add a warm flavor
Water: filtered, to cook it in
Sweetener: We use honey, rarely brown sugar
Toppings: bananas, strawberries, a little bit of ground flax, raisins, chia seeds (depending on what your child enjoys)
Milk: We use Almond or Rice milk.
Pot w/ lid: Big enough for the amount of oats you are cooking.

Substitutions

• Milk: any kind works, its your preference
• Water: replace with milk for cooking. Probably cook at a lower heat.
• Sweetener: date sugar, dry or fresh fruit.
• Pot with lid: depends on lid choice of how quick the liquid dries out. Add more water or milk if need.

How to make Healthy Oatmeal for picky toddlers

Step 1: Place oats, water, and cinnamon in pot.

Step 2: Boil on medium heat, and watch it before it spills over.

Step 3: once it boils put it on low and mix.
Step 4: Allow to simmer 2-3 min.
Step 5: Turn off heat and let it sit 5-8 min.
Step 6: Place cooked oats in a bowl and top with your choice of sweetener an or fruit.

Step 7: Pour some fresh milk.

Step 8: any extra add ons, mix, and enjoy.

Helpful Tips

– have milk ready, if making your own, prepare it in advance.
– sweetener is not necessary if adding fruit, but it can still be a lil bland.
– We simply cook with water to save on milk.
-Depending on the oats it may take longer to simmer.