# What do you add to your oatmeal to make it not so boring? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 23, 2013, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-add-to-your-oatmeal-to-make-it-not-so-boring/659142 "2013-05-23T17:41:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![standingwave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@standingwave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/standingwave)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-add-to-your-oatmeal-to-make-it-not-so-boring/659142/1 "2013-05-23T17:41:25Z")
My father had heart problems most of his life so one of the many things I do to control my cholesterol is make oatmeal part of my diet… omega-3 fatty acids, potassium, etc. But it does get a little boring. Lets face it, oatmeal isn’t exactly the party-in-your-mouth experience like say, bacon. Usually I add cinnamon and raisins but now that’s getting a little boring. So, what do you add to your oatmeal to jazz it up a little, while still keeping it healthy? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-add-to-your-oatmeal-to-make-it-not-so-boring/659142/2 "2013-05-23T17:43:08Z")
Strawberries, blueberries, peaches…just about any fruit in moderation works. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-add-to-your-oatmeal-to-make-it-not-so-boring/659142/3 "2013-05-23T17:54:36Z")
Muscle Milk protein powder. Mmm, yum. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-add-to-your-oatmeal-to-make-it-not-so-boring/659142/4 "2013-05-23T17:56:25Z")
Brown sugar, raisins and honey. ETA: Oops, while keeping it healthy? Mebbe raisins and just a little honey? ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-add-to-your-oatmeal-to-make-it-not-so-boring/659142/5 "2013-05-23T18:00:01Z")
Oatmeal’s not boring at all to me, especially the yummy steel-cut kind. I just add a bit of brown sugar. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-add-to-your-oatmeal-to-make-it-not-so-boring/659142/6 "2013-05-23T18:08:07Z")
I used to add butter, brown sugar, raisins and cream. That was before I knew oatmeal was supposed to be healthy. Now I add some blueberries, a little Splenda, cinnamon and 2% milk. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-add-to-your-oatmeal-to-make-it-not-so-boring/659142/7 "2013-05-23T18:35:25Z")
Applesauce and walnuts, with steel-cut oats. Add cinnamon too. I also like dried cranberries or cherries. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-add-to-your-oatmeal-to-make-it-not-so-boring/659142/8 "2013-05-23T18:46:02Z")
chopped nuts of any kind. pieces of any kind of dried fruit. ---
**Author:** ![standingwave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@standingwave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/standingwave)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-add-to-your-oatmeal-to-make-it-not-so-boring/659142/9 "2013-05-23T19:00:48Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > chopped nuts of any kind. pieces of any kind of dried fruit. I’m going to pick up some dried pineapple this weekend and see how that goes. Maybe try some chopped walnuts too. ---
**Author:** ![GilaB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@GilaB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GilaB)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-add-to-your-oatmeal-to-make-it-not-so-boring/659142/10 "2013-05-23T19:39:15Z")
I tend towards maple syrup + nuts, honey + raisins or sliced bananas, or jam. But note that you can also take oatmeal in a savory direction, eg with soy sauce and chopped scallions, using stock as the cooking liquid and topping with a poached egg, etc. Googling ‘savory oatmeal’ gives a long list of suggestions, but [this](http://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/meal-ideas/16-savory-oatmeal-recipes) is the first to pop up. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-add-to-your-oatmeal-to-make-it-not-so-boring/659142/11 "2013-05-23T20:00:29Z")
I like raisins, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla, with a little bit of brown sugar and butter added at the end. It’s not as healthy as plain oatmeal, but it’s way healthier than eggs and bacon. The vanilla really makes it. ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-add-to-your-oatmeal-to-make-it-not-so-boring/659142/12 "2013-05-23T20:06:39Z")
Cinnamon & brown sugar or maple syrup is a classic for me. I also need to try some of the fruit stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-add-to-your-oatmeal-to-make-it-not-so-boring/659142/13 "2013-05-23T20:23:28Z")
I break up some fried up bacon into it, then top it with an over-easy egg. Occasionally I’ll put fresh herbs in along with them. I prefer savory to sweet. ---
**Author:** ![standingwave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@standingwave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/standingwave)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-add-to-your-oatmeal-to-make-it-not-so-boring/659142/14 "2013-05-23T20:33:07Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > I like raisins, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla, with a little bit of brown sugar and butter added at the end. It’s not as healthy as plain oatmeal, but it’s way healthier than eggs and bacon. The vanilla really makes it. I do like vanilla… A little vanilla extract, I presume? ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-add-to-your-oatmeal-to-make-it-not-so-boring/659142/15 "2013-05-23T20:42:26Z")
> [@standingwave](#): > > I do like vanilla… A little vanilla extract, I presume? Yep. It’s got most of the ingredients of an oatmeal cookie and kind of tastes like one. My daughter likes “apple pie oatmeal,” made with the same spices plus allspice, and replacing the raisins with finely chopped apples. ---
**Author:** ![BurnMeUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@BurnMeUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BurnMeUp)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-add-to-your-oatmeal-to-make-it-not-so-boring/659142/16 "2013-05-23T20:42:45Z")
at work I put in walnuts and craisins. At home I will cook it overnight in a crockpot and add some fruit like dried apricots, dried craisins, dried apples, dried mango… what have you a little cinnamon is good to stir in right before eating. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-add-to-your-oatmeal-to-make-it-not-so-boring/659142/17 "2013-05-23T20:48:59Z")
Hell, I tend to put real maple syrup (only the real stuff, no fake stuff) in the Maple flavored oatmeal packets. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-add-to-your-oatmeal-to-make-it-not-so-boring/659142/18 "2013-05-23T20:55:46Z")
In the summer I make peach & ginger preserve, and sometimes I use that in my oatmeal to mix it up. It has a very strong flavor, so a small teaspoonspoonful goes a long way. I also cook in vanilla, and add raspberries right before I eat. (frozen are fine). ---
**Author:** ![Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleeps_With_Butterflies)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-add-to-your-oatmeal-to-make-it-not-so-boring/659142/19 "2013-05-23T20:57:56Z")
> [@BurnMeUp](#): > > at work I put in walnuts and craisins. > > At home I will cook it overnight in a crockpot and add some fruit like dried apricots, dried craisins, dried apples, dried mango… what have you a little cinnamon is good to stir in right before eating. I make mine (steel cut) overnight in the crockpot as well. Instead of water I use unsweetened apple juice (or another unsweetened juice, but usually apple) to give it more flavor. I’ll also add a dash of vanilla extract and one of cinnamon. I haven’t tried adding dried fruit to the batch while cooking, I usually add fresh fruit right before I eat it. I may have to try your way to see. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-add-to-your-oatmeal-to-make-it-not-so-boring/659142/20 "2013-05-23T21:15:07Z")
Applesauce and cinnamon. Though what I really want is walnuts, raisins, brown sugar, and cream. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-add-to-your-oatmeal-to-make-it-not-so-boring/659142.md?page=2)