Breakfast is one of my favorite meals of the day. Like many people, I used to eat cereal on weekdays and more substantial meals on weekends. But over time I've found ways to make a cheap, healthy breakfast with very little effort.
What's wrong with cereal? Breakfast cereal can easily cost more, by weight, than meat. Most cereals are also highly processed and come with a lot of packaging, so they're not particularly good for us or for our landfills.
Here are three simple alternatives. Oatmeal (not those little packets, but oatmeal purchased in bulk) is good for use in baking as well as for a breakfast meal, so I always have a lot around. Toast made from whole grained bread can have a lot of interesting toppings, including a bit of peanut butter to complement the proteins. And leftover rice makes a fantastic cereal: I deliberately make more rice that we'll need for dinner, then leave the leftover rice covered on the counter overnight so it stays at room temperature. I heat up some milk in the microwave, add a bit of sweetener (my boys like a spoonful of brown sugar), and serve. It's a great hit.
Those are quick-and-easy breakfasts. It's true that our favorite breakfasts require a bit more up-front reorganization. Both of my sons (now in 5th grade) and I make pancakes, waffles, and muffins regularly. To do this efficiently is possible, but it takes a bit of reorganization first. So I'll write about those another day.
Here are my cooking instructions for oatmeal and rice. Both require boiling the mixture and then turning the stove off -- not a lot of hands-on time for the cook.
Oatmeal
Combine 1/2 cup oatmeal and 3/4 cups water per person into a small pot. (So for a family of four, this means 2 cups of oatmeal and 3 cups of water). Cover the pot with a lid, of course(!), and bring to a boil, stirring only occasionally.
Once the mixture boils, stir once more, turn off the stove, and then cover the lidded pot with a towel for 2-3 minutes. If you have an electric stove, you might either move the pot away from the stove or skip the towel.
Serve.
This comes out a bit thicker than the recipe you'll see on the box.
What's wrong with cereal? Breakfast cereal can easily cost more, by weight, than meat. Most cereals are also highly processed and come with a lot of packaging, so they're not particularly good for us or for our landfills.
Here are three simple alternatives. Oatmeal (not those little packets, but oatmeal purchased in bulk) is good for use in baking as well as for a breakfast meal, so I always have a lot around. Toast made from whole grained bread can have a lot of interesting toppings, including a bit of peanut butter to complement the proteins. And leftover rice makes a fantastic cereal: I deliberately make more rice that we'll need for dinner, then leave the leftover rice covered on the counter overnight so it stays at room temperature. I heat up some milk in the microwave, add a bit of sweetener (my boys like a spoonful of brown sugar), and serve. It's a great hit.
Those are quick-and-easy breakfasts. It's true that our favorite breakfasts require a bit more up-front reorganization. Both of my sons (now in 5th grade) and I make pancakes, waffles, and muffins regularly. To do this efficiently is possible, but it takes a bit of reorganization first. So I'll write about those another day.
Here are my cooking instructions for oatmeal and rice. Both require boiling the mixture and then turning the stove off -- not a lot of hands-on time for the cook.
Oatmeal
Combine 1/2 cup oatmeal and 3/4 cups water per person into a small pot. (So for a family of four, this means 2 cups of oatmeal and 3 cups of water). Cover the pot with a lid, of course(!), and bring to a boil, stirring only occasionally.
Once the mixture boils, stir once more, turn off the stove, and then cover the lidded pot with a towel for 2-3 minutes. If you have an electric stove, you might either move the pot away from the stove or skip the towel.
Serve.
This comes out a bit thicker than the recipe you'll see on the box.
Rice
In a heavy pot, bring 4 cups of water to boil. When the water is boiling, add 2 cups of rice and a teaspoon of salt. Stir once quickly, and cover with a lid.
Once the mixture boils again, stir once more, turn off the stove, and then cover the lidded pot with a towel for 20 minutes. If you have an electric stove, you might either move the pot away from the stove or skip the towel.
Serve.
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