Kerryn recommended I give oat meal a shot for breakfast, so I thought - "Oatmeal, I can do this!"
Now there are about 20 different kinds of oatmeal, so I'm not sure if I got the right kind. But I did get the cheap kind. I think mine ran about $0.059 per serving.
Kerryn had recommended cooking the oats with milk, but that would add more cost to the meal, so I thought I would see if I could get by with just water. Honestly, I'd rather have a couple of eggs than a cup of milk if it comes down to price. I don't know if eggs are a reasonable trade off for milk or not, nutritionally. I've often eaten hard boiled eggs for breakfast when I've been dieting in the past.
Anyway, I went with 1 and 1/2 servings of oats, though. So the oats cost $0..09. I didn't think I would like plain oats, so I added two teaspoons of sugar, which I estimate cost me about $0.01.
Along with a cup of coffee, this really wasn't that bad a breakfast. There was enough cereal to satisfy my desire to eat. The volume was sufficient to make me feel relatively full. Not bad for $0.10. Especially since I'm not a big breakfast eater.
I haven't estimated out the coffee cost yet - that will be important. I drink a lot of coffee. I can drink it black, but I prefer a little skim milk and fake sugar.I make my coffee pretty weak - so I'm guessing it will run me something less than $0.10 per cup. But even at that relatively low price, I'm going to have to think more about how much of it I consume. Especially if I have to give up Diet Coke, which I also consume in large quantities. I actually started drinking coffee to reduce my consumption of Diet Coke. At one time I used to drive to work with a Diet Coke in my hand. Now it's coffee. But on this diet, I don't know!
So not bad.
(I apologize for the repeat of this post - I accidentally deleted it a minute ago - Blogger is very unforgiving of mistakes!)
Now there are about 20 different kinds of oatmeal, so I'm not sure if I got the right kind. But I did get the cheap kind. I think mine ran about $0.059 per serving.
Kerryn had recommended cooking the oats with milk, but that would add more cost to the meal, so I thought I would see if I could get by with just water. Honestly, I'd rather have a couple of eggs than a cup of milk if it comes down to price. I don't know if eggs are a reasonable trade off for milk or not, nutritionally. I've often eaten hard boiled eggs for breakfast when I've been dieting in the past.
Anyway, I went with 1 and 1/2 servings of oats, though. So the oats cost $0..09. I didn't think I would like plain oats, so I added two teaspoons of sugar, which I estimate cost me about $0.01.
Along with a cup of coffee, this really wasn't that bad a breakfast. There was enough cereal to satisfy my desire to eat. The volume was sufficient to make me feel relatively full. Not bad for $0.10. Especially since I'm not a big breakfast eater.
I haven't estimated out the coffee cost yet - that will be important. I drink a lot of coffee. I can drink it black, but I prefer a little skim milk and fake sugar.I make my coffee pretty weak - so I'm guessing it will run me something less than $0.10 per cup. But even at that relatively low price, I'm going to have to think more about how much of it I consume. Especially if I have to give up Diet Coke, which I also consume in large quantities. I actually started drinking coffee to reduce my consumption of Diet Coke. At one time I used to drive to work with a Diet Coke in my hand. Now it's coffee. But on this diet, I don't know!
So not bad.
(I apologize for the repeat of this post - I accidentally deleted it a minute ago - Blogger is very unforgiving of mistakes!)
Nicely done, Mark! I'm glad you found the oatmeal to be pleasing to the taste. I hope you liked it just as much as my two year old who also had oatmeal for breakfast this morning. The banana was added merely for a bit of sweetness into your breakfast instead of using sugar, and also as a source of vitamin C. You could substitute any friut you desire. Apples are a good choice with oatmeal if the price is right. The milk was added as a source of calcium, vitamin D, and protein. But, I understand, you may want that to spend that $.20 later on in the day for something else. My goal is to ensure Mark gets some balance and nutritional adequacy for his $3 a day!
ReplyDeleteThis might sound like a weird combo, but I think a tsp of butter and 1-2 tsp or tbsp of peanut butter taste pretty good mixed in with plain oatmeal w/a pinch of salt added. My mom introduced me to that concoction when I was a kid. The peanut butter adds a bit of protein and keeps me fuller a little longer than traditional oatmeal add-ins.
ReplyDeleteI'm just adding to what others say. Peanut butter, honey, bananas and butter — plus a little cream, for that wonderful texture of cool liquid against hot oatmeal — and you have a very satisfying breakfast. I've never tried it, but my mother adds a teaspoon or so of cinnamon, which would not only add flavor but also has health benefits.
ReplyDelete