My weekday breakfast is a big glass of juice made of two apples, two oranges and two carrots. On weekends, I like to try different things. And I may have found the perfect breakfast – quick and easy to make, extremely healthy and even tasty. It’s the good old oatmeal! Here are six good reasons to eat more oats:

1. Oats contain a wide array of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, and is a good source of protein, complex carbohydrate and iron. The fats in oats are mostly natural and healthy.
2. Oats contain more soluble fiber than any other grain, so the body turns it into a kind of thick gel, which moves very slowly through your body. So your stomach stays fuller longer.
3. Oats slow the absorption of glucose into the body, which may be why American Diabetes Association recommends that people with diabetes eat grains like oats.
4. Oats also have anti-inflamatory properties, and have been shown to heal dry and itchy skin.
5. Over 40 studies show that eating oats may help lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease.
6. Oats are 100% natural. Unlike most other cereals, the ingredients on a box of oats only has one item: oats.

Here’s how you can make a bowl of oatmeal in less than ten minutes: Boil two cups of water, add four tablespoons of oats. After few minutes, add some milk (skimmed or fat), then pour into a big bowl. Add chopped nuts of your choice – almonds, walnuts, pistachio – to make it crunchy, then some dried fruits like raisins or dates. Add some honey (or brown sugar) to make it sweet. And now savor it warm or cold.

Few other things you can add to your oatmeal, to create different tastes: fresh fruits like banana, frozen fruits like berries, shredded coconut, cinnamon, yogurt, jam, fruit preserve… as far as your creativity goes.

[Please share your own ideas for healthy breakfasts through comments. And check out Mush’s Page on Facebook.]