Oatmeal and Kids

[polkadotsuitcase]

If it's the texture they're balking at, what about adding some crunch like walnuts (or other nuts)? Also, DH uses waaaaay more liquid in his than I do, but maybe a change in consistency is worth a shot?

FWIW, I adore steel cut oats over instant oatmeal. But I'm still all about the "add ins" -- nuts, fruits, seeds, honey...I'll try anything in there!

Good luck!

 

[Kitikat]

i actually put raw oats in my waffle/pancake batter..after it is cooked no one can tell they are in there.

 

[tarak]

We buy oatmeal that has "dinosaur eggs" in it. It's made by Quaker. When the oatmeal gets hot, the eggs "melt" and leave a tiny piece of dinosaur candy.... They LOVE it! I figure those few tiny tiny pieces of candy are worth the benefits of the oatmeal. LOL

This is the ONLY oatmeal my younger daughter will eat. My older daughter will eat it only rarely. My son (1) will sometimes eat the baked oatmeal they serve at a local restaurant - it's made with cream and eggs and has more of a pudding texture, so that might be why he likes it.

 

[TheRatPack]

I have 3 that will eat it and 2 that won't. I make regular oats with sugar and butter and sometimes I make Amish oats that are mixed with eggs, brown sugar...etc and then baked. Then you crunch it up in a bowl and add some fruit or warm milk.....it's all good LOL

 

[Chereya]

My older son loves oatmeal - he'll ask to eat it for breakfast! My younger son does not. He likes the instant apples and cinnamon one or if I make some from the canister, I'll put cinnamon, sugar and raisins. I cook both with milk for added nutrients and do it on the stove so the texture is smoother. He doesn't seem to mind when my MIL makes the oatmeal according to the microwave directions but I think it's just gross - runny with hard, semi-cooked oats, blech.

In the past I've sprinkled gummy bears into it. I remember as a kid eating Undercover Bears oatmeal similar to the Dinosaur Eggs. Do your kids like jam or jelly? If you let them serve and mix it themselves they may find it more "fun" than if you do all the prep yourself.

 

[NHdisneylover]

I used to put out a "toppings bar" for the kids with their oatmeal (with the caveat that only two total spoons of "sugar toppings" could be used--small spoons. They liked adding their own toppings (like a sundae bar). I usually put out:

chopped apples
raisins
blueberries
bananas
brown sugar
sprinkels
butter
cinnamon
nutmeg
mini chocolate chips
jelly
any other fruit we happened to have
vanilla
maple syrup


Now I don't bother with the toppings bar because I know what each kid wants. DD always wants chopped fruit (whatever we have), butter, a bit of light brown sugar and a dash of cinnamon. DS likes dark brown sugar and butter in his. Both kids LOVE oatmeal. We also use it in homemade granola (they both make their own "personal flavours") and I out it in chocolate chip cookies (keeps them moist).

 

[PollyannaMom]

Jumping in in case you get some magic ideas, because DS won't eat it either! I'm not really surprised - I never liked the texture myself, but DH loves it, so I've offered it to DS. No luck. He really likes few "typical" breakfast foods at all, but I keep hoping.

 

[snowy76]

A few years ago the magazine we get from Wegmans had a recipe that called for apple cider instead of milk or water. You bring the apple cider just to a boil (2 cups for every 1 cup of oats). The original recipe also had squash and craisins in it. I ditched the squash and use just craisins, or even regular raisins. DS loves it.

 

[thebeesknees]

We do the sprinkles, too. My kids would eat oatmeal but weren't that excited about it until they went to Grandma's and she gave them sprinkles. They have to be colored sprinkles, though, not just the chocolate ones!

 

[imjoyful2]

What about baked oatmeal? My kids LOVE it! I add fruit to it, and if the recipe calls for oil, I replace it with applesauce. It tastes great and is easily reheated too. I make a big batch then the kids help themselves to it whenever they want.

 

[pyrxtc]

I buy my kids oatmeal that is called Dinosaur eggs. It has facts and jokes on the back of the package and little eggs inside that when you put the hot water over them, dinosaurs hatch. I think it is maple brown sugar flavor. I give them one package and mix it wiht minute oatmeal plain flavor of equal or more amounts. My kids love it.

 

[clori]

my dd9 likes oatmeal. However if you ask her her favorite instant hot cereal is cream of farina. My dd5 prefers cheerios to hot cereal of any type.