Ever since my mother bought me 5 large bags of Quaker Instant Oatmeal to give to my children, I’ve been TRYING to plow through it without much creative luck.  At first, I just boiled it and then added milk – very standard.  They ate it and then after awhile, it probably got bland.  “Mother mother, same old, same old.”  So I’ve gone and tried to be creative with the oatmeal so that they can get more oatmeal goodness into their little bodies.  Oatmeal is cholesterol free is low in fat and low in sugar.  Try them – really, some of the ideas aren’t that bad! 

Sweeeeet Oatmeal Ideas

Yes, sweet oatmeals appeals to the children’s palate (as do all sweet things).  However, I am pretty stringent on keeping the sugar consumption down, so go ahead and give them a try!

Oatmeal with Maple Syrup or Jam

Use real and pure maple syrup.  Use quality jam as well.  Don’t go for those wanna-be types with too much added sucrose.  Natural is best.  Just add one or two teaspoons to a bowl of oatmeal for enhanced flavor.

Oatmeal with Fresh Fruit

What a better compliment than fresh fruit with oatmeal?  I’ve tried bananas, peaches, water pears (although the texture is a bit off here), apples, strawberries (for those children who are at least a year old), blueberries (may need to halve them for younger children) and papaya.  I usually leave the fruit in little chunks for added texture rather than blend it into the oatmeal.  You can use dried fruits as well, but again, caution on the sugar and calorie count.

Oatmeal with Dry Cereals

The easiest by far since all you have to do is take the cereal out of the box.   I’ve tried both mixing it directly into the oatmeal.  This makes the dry cereal soft and mushy – great for younger babies.  My older daughter will add some dry cereal to each spoonful of oatmeal, thus keeping it crunchy.  There is no limit to the type of cereal you can use here.  I’ve tried Reese Pieces (for children that are able to consume peanuts), Honey Nut Cheerios, plan Cheerios, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Corn Flakes, Raisin Bran and Rice Krispies.  You can virtually use any cereal!

Oatmeal and Yogurt

A wonderful and calcium packed way to serve oatmeal.  It’s easy, ready-to-serve and healthy.  You can buy minature packs of yogurt so that each child can manage their own meal.  Or buy a big tub and share all around.  I usually serve them separately, but do whatever it takes to get your children eating oatmeal.

Oatmeal Cookies

Your number one choice for oatmeal consumption.  Again, keep the sugar low.  I usually quarter or halve the amount of sugar required in all recipes and add dried cranberries, raisins or some type of dried fruit.

Salty Oatmeal Ideas

My dad started me on this one.  He made chicken with oatmeal one day and I blanched at it.  But if you think about it, the options are also limitless on this side and the children will eat it too.  I find Asian and Western reverse the taste on some things:  Popcorn at theatres (Asians prefer the sweet kind while you can only get salty at Famous Players), or Hot vs Cold desserts (the sweet soups – not a big fan).

Ground Meats Oatmeal

Excellent for children.  Especially left over steamed ground pork since it’s so delicious in flavour.  Adding it to oatmeal encourages my children to eat it (oddly enough).  Basically all ground meats are ideal for oatmeal.  If your child is still young, stick to the unsalted and unseasoned kind. 

Ground Pork Floss Oatmeal

I find that children will eat anything with ground pork floss in it.  Just sprinkle a generous amount on top – or mix it in if your child picks only the pork floss.  It sounds “unique”, but they gobble it right up.  Btw, ground pork floss is an Asian food.  You can usually find it in Asian Supermarkets.  It’s basically dried, flavored, strings of pork.