There are so many cereal options out there. However, most commercially prepared cereals are full of sugar, sweeteners, artificial colours, sodium, preservatives, palm oil and other nasty ingredients that are not healthy for your body.

Moreover, these breakfast cereals are highly processed, stripping the nutrient quality of any beneficial ingredients they do contain and they are also usually quite expensive.

But you can get a big pack of unprocessed oats from the likes of Aldi, Lidl or any supermarket that only costs around £1.

And not only are oats an ideal staple food because they are so versatile, they are also highly nutritious and much better for you then any cereals.

They are high in fibre and protein as well as vitamins and minerals such as manganese, iron, selenium, magnesium and zinc. These minerals are vital to our general health and well-being.

There are many ways you can make oats taste great such as by adding fruit, cinnamon or nut butters.

Oats are one of my main staple foods and I have been experimenting with recipes for years. Below  are my top 5 oats recipes;

Method for all:

(For all recipes, makes 1 big bowl) Combine nut milk and or water and oats in a saucepan. Bring it slowly to boil, then let it simmer on a very low heat for about 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently. If oats seem dense, add in a little more milk until a creamy mixture forms.

Carrot cake

• 100g oats
• 100ml almond milk/water (or any other milk)1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp walnuts
• 1 shredded or finely sliced carrot
• 1 tbsp raisins

Banana and berries

• 100g oats
• 100ml almond milk/water (or any other milk)
• 1 chopped banana
• 2 handfuls of berries (frozen are cheapest)

Banana and peanut butter

• 100g oats
• 100ml almond milk/water (or any other milk)
• 1 chopped banana
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tbsp peanut butter (or any other nut butter such as almond butter)

Chocolate and caramel

• 100g oats
• 1 handful of mixed seeds
• 100ml almond milk/water (or any other milk)
• 3 tbsp cacao powder, 4 dried dates
• 1 tbsp of pure maple syrup

Apple pie

• 100g oats
• 100ml almond milk/water (or any other milk)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1 sliced apple
• 1 tbsp raisins

Start small and experiment

You don’t have to eat expensive, high calorie, low nutrient cereals when with a few simple ingredients you can make tastier low calorie alternatives.

Pick just one of the above recipes and give it a try. Or start by just having oats with your favourite fruit.

Experiment and find what works for you.

If you have any comments or feedback please leave a comment or contact me and I would be happy to help.