Punch Up Your Oatmeal With Healthy Toppings

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Because breakfast deserves to be interesting.

Oatmeal is boring. I’m not throwing shade on anyone who likes oatmeal; if you’re into that, more power to you, and it is definitely a healthy choice for a balanced breakfast (provided it’s not overly processed). But out of all the potential things you could eat for breakfast, you choose sludgy oats and water? Call me hedonistic, but I like my breakfast to be a little more interesting than sludgy oats and water. Oatmeal should just be part one of breakfast; here’s some ideas for part two.

Your first choice is definitely fresh produce. Fruits, vegetables, or whatever else you have on hand. If it’s fresh, throw it in there. If you’re leaning more toward vegetables, pumpkin is an excellent choice. Just blend in some natural pumpkin puree, and you get a delicious, October-themed breakfast with a hearty boost in fiber and vitamin A. If you’re more of a fruit person, raspberries are a contender. Just like pumpkin, they give you some extra fiber, plus vitamin C and a little protein.

Breakfast is for all food groups, though, including the savory ones. If you don’t mind meat, top your oatmeal with a fried egg for a big boost in protein and some healthy fat. Adding an egg also helps the oatmeal stick to your ribs, so you’ll feel fuller and more energized. If meat’s off the table, try an avocado! Avocado provides the same fullness and healthy fat as eggs, as well as some extra fiber.

If you absolutely have to have something sweet on your oatmeal (and I don’t blame you), keep it natural. Bananas, while a bit higher in carbs and sugar, are loaded with potassium and, yep, you guessed it, fiber. Slice one up and throw it in there. Organic peanut butter is a fantastic option, giving you some healthy protein while providing that sweetness you crave, not to mention giving your oatmeal a little extra body.

Like I said, if you want to eat plain oatmeal by itself, that’s your prerogative. But frankly, by not including some kind of topping, you’re leaving out both delicious tastes and valuable extra nutrients.