Those instant oatmeal packages are fast and easy, allowing most children to fix breakfast for themselves, even the five and six year olds. The problem is that they really have a lot of sugar and most of them have additives that you might prefer weren’t in your little one’s system. But they are so easy and quick.
And did I mention how easy and quick they are?
Here’s a newsflash. Like almost every other convenience food you find at the store you can easily make instant oatmeal packets at home – and for a lot less than what you are paying now. Make it ahead and store it in re-sealable snack sized bags. Better yet? Store it in the eight ounce jelly jars. They can have the water added to them and be ready to go without any extra steps.
Basic Instant Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 4 cups quick cooking oats
- Pinch of salt
- Other spices like cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg
- 1/2 cup sugar, brown sugar, date sugar, maple sugar, or your favorite granulated sweetener
- 1 cup powdered milk
- 1 cup additional ingredients like raisins, pecans, dried cranberries, chopped figs, peanut butter chips… whatever you like
- Pulse the oatmeal in a food processor once or twice.
- Mix all of the ingredients together.
- Place 2/3 cup of mixture in individual storage containers like re-sealable snack bags or eight ounce jelly jars with tight filling lids.
- When you are ready to make the oatmeal just add the dry mixture to 1 cup of boiling water and let stand for a minute or two before serving.
photo credit: Megan
