Healthy Instant Oatmeal Packets
2019-04-16 For the last three hiking/canoeing trips I've made up these small packets of oatmeal that just needs boiling water and a few minutes to be ready to eat. Everyone likes them. I got the idea from The Yummy Life website which has many interesting camping and backpacking recipes. Just want you to know this isn't my original idea though I think I have added my touch to them.
Healthy Instant
Oatmeal Packets
By Monica
1 serving (packet)
Make your own individual instant oatmeal packets
in a variety of flavors. An easy, make-ahead,
healthy on-the-go breakfast or snack for work,
travel, camping, and college dorms, or those
busy mornings when there's no time to make
breakfast. Use packets for hot or refrigerator oatmeal.
Ingredients
• BASIC RECIPE FOR A SINGLE SERVING PACKET:
• 1/3 cup rolled oats (instant or quick); old fashioned oats may be used for microwave
and refrigerator oatmeal
• 1 teaspoon chia seeds or ground flaxseed (optional)
• 2 teaspoons oat bran (or wheat germ/bran)
• 2 teaspoons powdered milk (omit for non-dairy, vegan)
• 1 to 3 teaspoons brown sugar, sucanat, pure maple sugar, coconut sugar, or other
preferred sweetener
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• OPTIONAL ADD INS (see suggested flavor varieties in directions):
• dried or freeze dried fruit, chopped
• chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds, macademia nuts)
• PB2 powdered peanut butter
• cocoa powder
• instant coffee or espresso powder
• sweet spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamon, cloves)
• ground vanilla beans (dry powder)
• TO MIX A PACKET & MAKE OATMEAL:
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup water (amount of water may vary depending on dryness of ingredients)
• 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (for refrigerator oats only)
Directions
Combine basic recipe ingredients in individual zip top bags. Add additional flavor
ingredients, if desired--see suggestions below.
To prepare 1 serving of hot oatmeal:
BOILING WATER METHOD (not recommended for old fashioned oats): Add 1 oatmeal
packet to mug or bowl. Pour in 2/3 cups boiling water and stir. Let instant oats stand for
3-4 minutes to soften and thicken; stir, and they are ready to eat. Quick oats may need to
soften an additional minute or two.
MICROWAVE METHOD: Add 1 oatmeal packet and 3/4 cup cold water to microwave safe
mug or bowl. (The container needs to be large enough to allow for mixture to expand
while it cooks. It can bubble up and double in size in the microwave.) For instant oats,
cook uncovered on high for 1 minute; stir, and it's ready to eat. For quick oats, cook on
high for 2 minutes, let stand 2 minutes, stir, and it's ready to heat. NOTE: Microwave
power and cooking times can vary; adjust cooking time if necessary.
To prepare 1 serving of refrigerator oatmeal:
Add one oatmeal packet to a pint or half-pint jar (or other covered container). Pour in 1/2cup cold water, add 1/4 cup yogurt, cover tightly, and shake vigorously until well mixed.
Refrigerate at least 4 hours, overnight, or up to 3 days.
12 FLAVOR VARIATIONS (use the basic recipe ingredients, plus these additions):
1. Plain -- Use basic recipe ingredients.
2. Apple Cinnamon Maple -- 2 tablespoons dried or 1/4 cup freeze-dried chopped apples;
additional 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon; use maple sugar for sweetener
3. Blueberry -- 2 tablespoons dried or 1/4 cup freeze-dried blueberries.
4. Cherry Almond -- 2 tablespoons dried or 1/4 tablespoons freeze-dried cherries; 1
tablespoon sliced or slivered almonds.
5. Apricot Ginger -- 2 tablespoons chopped dried apricots; 1 teaspoon minced crystallized
ginger.
6. Cranberry Orange Pecan -- 2 tablespoons dried cranberries, 1 teaspoon dried orange
peel bits, 1 tablespoon chopped pecans.
7. Pineapple Coconut -- 2 tablespoons dried or 1/4 cup freeze-dried chopped dried
pineapple, 1 tablespoon freeze-dried coconut
8. Raspberry Vanilla Bean-- 2 tablespoons dried or 1/4 cup freeze-dried raspberries, 1/4
teaspoon ground vanilla powder
9. Peach (or Mango) Macademia Nut -- 2 tablespoons chopped dried peaches (or
mangos), 1 tablespoon chopped macadamia nuts
10. Cocoa Banana -- 1/4 cup chopped freeze-dried bananas (dried banana chips not
recommended), 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
11. Peanut Butter Banana -- 1/4 cup chopped freeze-dried bananas (dried banana chips
not recommended), 1 tablespoon PB2 peanut butter powder
12. Mocha -- 1 teaspoon cocoa powder, 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder
Make-ahead convenience. These bags may be made, tightly sealed, and stored for several
months, depending on the shelf life of the ingredients used. May be stored in freezer to
extend their life further.
To make oatmeal packets gluten-free, use gluten-free oats and oat bran.
Nutritional data for the basic oatmeal packets (without fruit or nuts). There is 1-1/2
teaspoons of brown sugar for the sweetener in these calculations. For one plain oatmeal
packet: 160 calories, 2.8g fat, 53mg sodium, 28.6g carbs, 3.9g fiber, 7.6g sugars, 6.5g
protein. Weight Watchers PointsPlus: 4.
See the recipe online at www.TheYummyLife.com/recipes/320
Oatmeal Packets
By Monica
1 serving (packet)
Make your own individual instant oatmeal packets
in a variety of flavors. An easy, make-ahead,
healthy on-the-go breakfast or snack for work,
travel, camping, and college dorms, or those
busy mornings when there's no time to make
breakfast. Use packets for hot or refrigerator oatmeal.
Ingredients
• BASIC RECIPE FOR A SINGLE SERVING PACKET:
• 1/3 cup rolled oats (instant or quick); old fashioned oats may be used for microwave
and refrigerator oatmeal
• 1 teaspoon chia seeds or ground flaxseed (optional)
• 2 teaspoons oat bran (or wheat germ/bran)
• 2 teaspoons powdered milk (omit for non-dairy, vegan)
• 1 to 3 teaspoons brown sugar, sucanat, pure maple sugar, coconut sugar, or other
preferred sweetener
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• OPTIONAL ADD INS (see suggested flavor varieties in directions):
• dried or freeze dried fruit, chopped
• chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds, macademia nuts)
• PB2 powdered peanut butter
• cocoa powder
• instant coffee or espresso powder
• sweet spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamon, cloves)
• ground vanilla beans (dry powder)
• TO MIX A PACKET & MAKE OATMEAL:
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup water (amount of water may vary depending on dryness of ingredients)
• 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (for refrigerator oats only)
Directions
Combine basic recipe ingredients in individual zip top bags. Add additional flavor
ingredients, if desired--see suggestions below.
To prepare 1 serving of hot oatmeal:
BOILING WATER METHOD (not recommended for old fashioned oats): Add 1 oatmeal
packet to mug or bowl. Pour in 2/3 cups boiling water and stir. Let instant oats stand for
3-4 minutes to soften and thicken; stir, and they are ready to eat. Quick oats may need to
soften an additional minute or two.
MICROWAVE METHOD: Add 1 oatmeal packet and 3/4 cup cold water to microwave safe
mug or bowl. (The container needs to be large enough to allow for mixture to expand
while it cooks. It can bubble up and double in size in the microwave.) For instant oats,
cook uncovered on high for 1 minute; stir, and it's ready to eat. For quick oats, cook on
high for 2 minutes, let stand 2 minutes, stir, and it's ready to heat. NOTE: Microwave
power and cooking times can vary; adjust cooking time if necessary.
To prepare 1 serving of refrigerator oatmeal:
Add one oatmeal packet to a pint or half-pint jar (or other covered container). Pour in 1/2cup cold water, add 1/4 cup yogurt, cover tightly, and shake vigorously until well mixed.
Refrigerate at least 4 hours, overnight, or up to 3 days.
12 FLAVOR VARIATIONS (use the basic recipe ingredients, plus these additions):
1. Plain -- Use basic recipe ingredients.
2. Apple Cinnamon Maple -- 2 tablespoons dried or 1/4 cup freeze-dried chopped apples;
additional 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon; use maple sugar for sweetener
3. Blueberry -- 2 tablespoons dried or 1/4 cup freeze-dried blueberries.
4. Cherry Almond -- 2 tablespoons dried or 1/4 tablespoons freeze-dried cherries; 1
tablespoon sliced or slivered almonds.
5. Apricot Ginger -- 2 tablespoons chopped dried apricots; 1 teaspoon minced crystallized
ginger.
6. Cranberry Orange Pecan -- 2 tablespoons dried cranberries, 1 teaspoon dried orange
peel bits, 1 tablespoon chopped pecans.
7. Pineapple Coconut -- 2 tablespoons dried or 1/4 cup freeze-dried chopped dried
pineapple, 1 tablespoon freeze-dried coconut
8. Raspberry Vanilla Bean-- 2 tablespoons dried or 1/4 cup freeze-dried raspberries, 1/4
teaspoon ground vanilla powder
9. Peach (or Mango) Macademia Nut -- 2 tablespoons chopped dried peaches (or
mangos), 1 tablespoon chopped macadamia nuts
10. Cocoa Banana -- 1/4 cup chopped freeze-dried bananas (dried banana chips not
recommended), 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
11. Peanut Butter Banana -- 1/4 cup chopped freeze-dried bananas (dried banana chips
not recommended), 1 tablespoon PB2 peanut butter powder
12. Mocha -- 1 teaspoon cocoa powder, 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder
Make-ahead convenience. These bags may be made, tightly sealed, and stored for several
months, depending on the shelf life of the ingredients used. May be stored in freezer to
extend their life further.
To make oatmeal packets gluten-free, use gluten-free oats and oat bran.
Nutritional data for the basic oatmeal packets (without fruit or nuts). There is 1-1/2
teaspoons of brown sugar for the sweetener in these calculations. For one plain oatmeal
packet: 160 calories, 2.8g fat, 53mg sodium, 28.6g carbs, 3.9g fiber, 7.6g sugars, 6.5g
protein. Weight Watchers PointsPlus: 4.
See the recipe online at www.TheYummyLife.com/recipes/320