January Is National Oatmeal Month Too!

Did you know January is National Oatmeal Month? Oatmeal is an excellent source of many essential vitamins and nutrients such as Vitamin B, Vitamin E, calcium, magnesium, zinc, and phosphorus. Oatmeal is also full of insoluble and soluble fiber. Studies have shown that because oatmeal is loaded with these vitamins, nutrients and is full of fiber, it can help fight heart disease, lower cholesterol, and help maintain blood sugar levels as well as maintaining the metabolism.

Not only does oatmeal have great health benefits, it extremely affordable and versatile. It is great cooked for breakfast and topped with some fruit and honey, or made into a classic after school snack of oatmeal raisin cookies. But have you ever thought about cooking with oatmeal? Since oatmeal is a pantry staple I often use it in cooking. A small container of bread crumbs is about the same price as a large canister of oatmeal. Oatmeal is a great ingredient to use in place of bread crumbs in recipes such as meatloaf, meatballs, and hamburgers. I will also often take oatmeal and blend it up in a food processor to use it to ‘bread’ chicken cutlets.  So if you are looking to eat healthy and on a budget, remember that canister of oatmeal sitting in your pantry and cook up something good to eat!

In honor of National Oatmeal Month, try making my Italian Meatballs! The meatballs use oatmeal as the binding agent instead of bread crumbs. They are full of flavor, are ready in no time, and use ingredients that I always have on hand. Try them on hoagie rolls for meatball subs, or over a bowl of pasta, or my favorite way to eat them is just by themselves with a simple side salad. Yum!