Have you ever had one of those days when you woke up, had a very healthy light yogurt for breakfast, felt great : ) and at 9:00 you were so hungry that you ate half of your refrigerator and of course felt horrible : (
You can avoid this terrible, guilty ridden experience by eating oatmeal with dried fruits and nuts for breakfast. Oatmeal really fills you up. It is also a great snack.
Cook the oatmeal according to the package direction, use milk instead of water, then add your favorite nuts and dried fruits. You can use any kind of milk really and even half milk and half water.
According to an article from Active Beat you will control your appetite if you have oatmeal in the morning. Check out the article > http://www.activebeat.com/diet-nutrition/10-natural-appetite-suppressing-foods/
Here are excerpts from the article:
For breakfast have "a bowl of slow-digesting oats and you’ll feel full well into the lunch hour. That’s right, oats contain a hunger-satiating hormone, called ghrelin, and they are also extremely low on the glycemic index. Just stick to plain oats and add your own natural sugars from honey, apple butter, vanilla, cinnamon, agave syrup, or a touch of real maple syrup.
I use cinnamon on everything—in my coffee, on my oatmeal, and on fruit and yogurt. Sure, the no calorie spice tastes great, but it also helps lower your blood sugar levels, thus curbing your appetite!"
Here are my favorite combinations:
Oatmeal with sunflower seeds and raisins.
Oatmeal with pistachios and dried blueberries.
Oatmeal with walnuts and dried cranberries. mmmmm!
I always buy salted nuts instead of unsalted. I know it is not the healthiest option but I love the contrast between the sweetness of the dried fruits and the salt from the nuts.
I do not add sugar or salt to my porridge. If you like to add sugar to your porridge consider using the healthier substitutes Stevia or agave syrup.
Occasionally I add cinnamon.
