My aunt once told me that the strawberries in the Strawberries and Cream Oatmeal aren’t real strawberries.   They are actually flavored and colored fruit pieces (Dehydrated Apples) with artificial strawberry flavor.  

After she learned that she always made her own instant oatmeal at home and so did I, until I fell out of my routine. Every morning Jeremy likes eating oatmeal for breakfast. We started off buying the variety box from BJ’s or Costco, and I noticed how fast he was going through the box. We needed a new box like once a month. I mentioned to him that I also used to make instant oatmeal when I had my luncheonette. I told him I could make any flavor of oatmeal, so one day I made some, and I’ve been making the instant oatmeal ever since.   

 Benefits of Making Homemade Instant Oatmeal

There are many benefits to making your own oatmeal.  One major reason to make your own instant oatmeal is you can control what you put in it.  You don’t have to sweeten it if you don’t want to. However if you do sweeten it, you can add a natural sweetener such as evaporated cane sugar, or sugar in the raw verses white sugar. You can add ground flaxseed meal to the oatmeal, which will add Omega 3 fatty acids, and more fiber.  You can also make it however you want, if you want apple spice, or mixed berry, or maple brown sugar, the sky is the limit. Not to mention the fact its more cost effective to make it yourself.  On average the Variety pack of Oatmeal cost about $3.25 for about 10 packets of oatmeal from the grocery store. Whereas a 42 oz container of Quick Oats (Instant Oatmeal) costs about $5.70 from the grocery store, which is about 36 servings.  Of course if you buy in bulk from a store like BJ’s or Costco its even more cost effective.  

There are about 12 cups of Quick Oats in a 42 oz container.  I like to make two different flavors from one container.  

Spiced Apple Oatmeal
1/3 of a cup of oatmeal is about equal to 1 packet of oatmeal

Other Variations of Oatmeal

Strawberry Blueberry Brown Sugar Pecan Oatmeal 
1/3 of a cup of oatmeal is about equal to 1 packet of oatmeal

Ingredients
6 cups of Quick Oats
1/2 cup freeze dried strawberries
1/2 cup freeze dried blueberries
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup pecans

 Maple Brown Sugar Blueberry Pecan Oatmeal
1/3 of a cup of oatmeal is about equal to 1 packet of oatmeal

Ingredients
6 cups of Quick Oats
1/2 cup pecan
1 cup blueberries
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup maple sugar

Making homemade oatmeal is so versatile. You could also add

• Freeze dried bananas
• Other nuts like walnuts or almonds
• Flaxseed Meal and or Chia Seed Powder
• Protein powder
• Milk powder for a creamier texture