Making healthy meals for family

This post was originally published as Healthy Breakfast To-Go by Laurel on Health Food blog.

Last weekend I heard a mother of four talk about her creative ideas for making healthy meals for her big family. For breakfast, she sometimes makes a big pot of oatmeal the night before and adds fruit and nuts to it. In the morning, all she has to do is warm a little up in the microwave or on the stove, and everyone is fed a healthy meal. If you’re only cooking for yourself, you can store some in the refrigerator and have breakfast ready for the whole week.

I just love this idea, so I tried it out on Monday night. This oatmeal has been hitting the spot on chilly mornings! Here’s my recipe for a great healthy breakfast that will keep you full and energized until lunchtime.

Cranberry-Walnut Oatmeal

1 cup steel-cut oats
4 cups water
2 tbsp. honey
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Before you go to bed or when you’re making dinner, boil the water in a medium pot. Once it’s boiling, turn off the heat and stir-in the steel cut oats. Cover immediately with a lid, and allow to sit overnight. In the morning, take off the lid and add the cranberries and walnuts. Cook on medium heat for 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle cinnamon and drizzle honey on top before serving (optional). If you have leftovers, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Experiment with different fresh or dried fruits and nuts to switch up the flavor. The cinnamon and honey are optional. You can also try agave nectar if you like it sweet.

I hope you enjoy this recipe! Let me know what you think if you try it out.