Because I will be returning to work part time in a few days, I have been on the search for quick meal ideas that are also inexpensive. When I go back to my job, I will have less time for cooking. Because I will be going back part time instead of full time, James and I will also have less expendable income on our hands. I therefore need to make meals that are quick and cheap as well as healthy.
Breakfast is probably the worst meal of the day for me. When I go back to work, I will be working in the afternoons. My mornings will be jam-packed with getting myself ready and getting Poppy ready to spend time with her daddy. Poppy usually sleeps for a few hours after I get up, which I am counting on to make my mornings go a little more smoothly. However, because babies do not always follow the plans that grown-ups lay out, I am also planning on needing to throw together some quick breakfasts for myself.
One such breakfast is oatmeal with blueberries. To make this quick but healthy breakfast, I start by cooking a serving of oatmeal on the stove. A box of oatmeal is cheap but full of healthy goodness. (Can we say heart and tummy healthy whole grain?!) While the oatmeal is cooking, I pop open a package of Fruit Naturals blueberries and drink the juice. As the oatmeal finishes cooking, I just dump the drained blueberries in. Voila! Healthy fruit and grains all in one meal for a relatively low price.
Other fruits can also be added to the oatmeal in place of the blueberries. I too can use fresh or frozen but thawed fruits instead of the Fruit Naturals. However, the ease of using the Fruit Naturals trumps the slightly more expensive price. Furthermore, fresh fruits tend to go bad on me because I do not eat the produce fast enough. As long as refrigerated, Fruit Naturals last a long time, saving me time (I do not have to go to the store as frequently to buy fresh fruit) and money (I do not have to throw away rotten fruit).
So start your day with a delicious and filling bowl of oatmeal with blueberries. I know I am!
Image Credits
Fruit Naturals Blueberries and a Bowl of Oatmeal © 2012 Heather Johnson
Oatmeal with Blueberries © 2012 Heather Johnson
