Crockpot Oatmeal for Breakfast

No matter how much I prepare the night before, or how early I wake up, school day mornings at the Ilkay house are chaotic. It starts with 15 minutes of motivating the kids to wake-up, followed by the 20 minute routine of getting dressed, brushing teeth and hair all the while dealing with tantrums and trying to drink my coffee before it gets cold.

After the kids are groomed and dressed that leaves us with less than 15 minutes to eat breakfast. If I am lucky I will have 10 minutes to make breakfast (and drink more coffee). My kids will only tolerate cold cereal and milk 2-3 times a week. My other standbys are eggs and toast, bagels with cream cheese, or frozen waffles, but our family favorite…is crockpot oatmeal.

Thankfully my kids love oatmeal. This whole grain is packed with plenty of vitamins, minerals (especially iron and calcium) and antioxidants. It also decreases the risk of type 2 diabetes, helps with weight management and has even been shown to prevent certain types of cancers (Cathy, K. 2001).  

Crockpot oatmeal is not only healthy but super easy to make. The bonus is you can make it the night before and have breakfast ready before you even wake up. The main difference is that this recipe calls for steel-cut oats. Steel-cut oats are less processed and require more time to cook, but it is well worth the wait.

Recipe:

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

·      2 cups water

·      2 cups milk (I love using vanilla almond milk, but you can use regular milk, soy or even coconut milk)

·      1 cup steel-cut Irish oatmeal

·      1 Tablespoon of ground cinnamon

·      1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Combine the ingredients in a slow cooker and stir thoroughly. Cook on low heat for 7-9 hours. For a sweet kick, serve with a teaspoon of maple syrup.

Why Breakfast is really the most important meal of the day for our kids:

According to the American Dietetic Association, research shows that children who eat breakfast (ADA, 2010):

·       Show improvements on math, reading and standardized test scores,

·       Are better able to pay attention and perform problem solving tasks,

·       Have fewer absences and incidences of tardiness – and are more likely to behave better in school,

·       Have more important nutrients, vitamins and minerals such calcium, dietary fiber and protein, and

·       Are less likely to be overweight

References:

1. American Dietetic Association, 2010. Kids Eat Right. Breakfast Helps Kids Eat Right. Retrieved October 18, 2011, from: http://www.eatright.org/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=6442459346
2. Cathy, Kapica. 2001. Oats-Nature’s Functional Food. Nutrition Today, 36 (2).  56-60.