National Oatmeal Day was this past Tuesday, so I figured that I should dedicate this week’s blog to The Breakfast Stew!

What is the difference between soup and stew?  It comes down to the prominence of the liquid in the mixture.  Technically, “soup is a combination…cooked in liquid” whereas “stew…is barely covered with liquid and simmered for a long time in a covered pot” (https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/stew-vs-soup/).  

A bowl of cereal is covered with milk, and after all the cereal is gone, the milk remains; this can be paralleled to the broth that remains in a bowl of soup.  However, which breakfast spin-off is analogous to stew? Oatmeal…the hot cereal. 

Oatmeal originated 3,000 years ago and was made from weeds.  Since the oats came from weeds, the Romans perceived them as a food for the poor (https://nationaltoday.com/national-oatmeal-day/).  However, oatmeal has stood the test of time and is a staple food in many cultures; hence, it even has its own National Day!  

People regularly eat oatmeal because it has many health benefits.  For example, oatmeal is high in soluble fiber, which keeps people full longer, moderates glucose absorption, and prevents bile reabsorption (https://nationaltoday.com/national-oatmeal-day/).   Moderating glucose absorption controls blood sugar levels, and preventing bile reabsorption is critical for maintaining lower cholesterol levels (https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/9-benefits-oats-oatmeal#section6).  

How do you prepare oatmeal?  Oatmeal is more complex than cereal because you don’t just pour it in a bowl and pour milk over it.  There are instant oatmeal packs today to make it more convenient to eat this nutritious hot cereal, but traditionally, oatmeal is cooked by boiling the oats and milk/water on the stove and then allowing the mixture to simmer until all of the liquid is dissolved.  This process is very similar to simmering process in stew; hence, oatmeal is the breakfast stew!

Some people do not find plain oatmeal very appealing or satisfying.  However, with some added toppings, you can customize your oatmeal to the flavors that you want!  Some common toppings are cinnamon, brown sugar, fresh bananas and berries, dried fruit, nuts, seeds, and nut butters.  If you want to make it even sweeter, you could add chocolate chips or even M&Ms to make it more colorful!  

With any toppings that you like, you can fill your oatmeal with flavor, and you can try different flavor combinations every day!  People even put the extra time in to arrange their toppings in an aesthetically appealing way to snap an artsy picture for their social media page.  Oatmeal has certainly evolved as it has gone from poor food to a food that shows up on Instagram every morning!