Trail Mix Whipped Banana Oatmeal!
Up early this morning! I made oats around 7:00 and am digesting and studying before I head to the gym around 9.
Oatmeal Technique
So I really have two techniques for banana oatmeal: whipped and marshmallow. I thought it would be helpful to distinguish between them, as they do produce rather different results!
Marshmallow Technique
This is what you see in the video. We cut the banana into large chunks and it cooks into big marshmallows of melty banana. Absolutely delicious, and fun when you have a lot of banana to work with (so you get more chunks).
Whipped Technique
My other technique is cutting the banana into VERY small slices and whipping them (which just means stirring a lot) into the oats as they cook.
Slice thinness:
The whipped method produces a really creamy bowl of oats. The bananas basically disappear, so there are no chunks. Since banana is an emulsifier of sorts, this method suspends the oats into a thick, creamy consistency and the whole bowl is sweeter because the banana’s sweetness permeates throughout.
Note the consistancy here:
Compared to here, where there are chunks of banana but the oats are more oaty –
There will be a test tomorrow on this!! Just kidding 🙂
So finishing up today’s delicious bowl, I topped mine with flax, brown sugar and Bear Naked trail mix – delish! Actually, it was too sweet with the banana, brown sugar, and chocolate bits. I should have left the sugar out!
With hot tea –
Breakfast today was about 460 kcal, 10 grams fiber and 13 grams protein.
See you for a packed lunch!
Aimee H. says
I basically used the whipped method this morning.. and oh man, was it delicious. I’ve been eating oat bran for awhile, but I remember why I love quick oats. The banana really does infuse every bite with sweetness.
Katie says
The consistency of that looks fabulous! And I love banana with a passion so I’m totally going to have to try this. 🙂
Julz W says
Embarrassing Confession: I’ve never made true oatmeal from scratch — SCRATCH THAT— I’ve never made oatmeal (an oatmeal pancake doesn’t count haha)…For S0ME REAS0N ever since I was little I can’t stomach the thought of it…Heavy oats that don’t taste like much??? But now I see! It’s not the oats, because the entire planet L0VES them but me! Oy
caitlin (in FL) says
mmmmmmmmmm kath that looks amazing! i treated myself to whole wheat pancakes this AM and it was SO GOOD. YUMMY!
I’m reading In Defense of Food right now and it’s BLOWING MY MIND. I HIGHLY recommend it to everyone!
Kath- do you have any ideas for a substitute for banana in pancakes? I tried apples, but it tastes funny. I’m allergic to bananas 🙁 sad, i know!
VeggieGirl says
haha, Kath, I love how you call it your “marshmallow method” – too fun!! I think that both your marshmallow AND whipped method are brilliant. thanks for sharing them! I’ll be ready for the test ;0)
happy Thursday!
Katy says
Caitlin (in FL),
I’ve tried putting apples in my pancakes too and didn’t really care for it, though my friend made me pancakes with apples and they were great. So maybe it was the kind of apples we used?? Anyway, I am very sorry that you are allergic to bananas, but I think any kind of berry is delicious in pancakes. I also tried pumpkin last weekend in an oatmeal pancake and that was really good too. I’m sure you could add pumpkin to regular pancake batter…just make it a bit thinner because the pumpkin will thicken it up.
Happy Thursday everyone!
Tina says
Mmmm. Kath, that looks so good! I will have to try whipped technique. (I usually do the marshmallow technique.)
Romina says
That’s an interesting experiment… two different ways of having bananas in your oats. I still must try putting some in my oats. So I will give both ways a try!
rhodeygirl says
you know, i usually do a mix of your two methods… i make my batch whipped with about half the amount of banana i will actually eat.. then each morning when i micro my portion i add about half a banana in big chunks and they end up marshmallowy…. best of both worlds!!!
you should try it!
Elina says
Kath, as always your breakfast looks amazing!
I have a question about steel cut and rolled oats. I’ve made rolled oats before on a weekend and they came out great! I followed Kath’s “marshmalow” method. On Sunday I made a batch of steel cut oats to take to work with me. It took forever and since my fiance realized that he likes oatmeal, the 4 serving batch was gone in 2 days. Sooo, I made some rolled oats last night with some apples and this morning warmed it up in a microwave. They smelled amazing, but tasted bland and chewy. Any suggestions? Are you not supposed to reheat rolled oats? I eat at work, so I need something that I can have at my desk. I used to eat Kashi GoLean cereal…
Thanks for all your comments!
Elina says
Oh, a related questions… any thoughts on Kashi hot cereal? It tastes like it has whole grains and it’s nice and sweet and easy to make in a microwave.
Michelle says
Hi Kath! I just got a HRM for my birthday and I already love it, but I do have a question. When you switch exercises…say from the stairmaster to weights… do you stop the HRM and then restart it when you start the new exercise or do you just let it go from the start of your workout to the end? For instance, yesterday I did the elliptical then weights then the treadmill but I started and stopped it with each exercise and just memorized the calorie burn for each section. I hope this question makes since. Thanks for any input or any tips for the HRM. Love the blog!! Thanks, M
Kris10 says
Those whipped oats look yummy, but do they come out slimey at all (like instant microwave oats do)? I don’t like that consistency. :-p
On a different topic, what brand of hand blender do you use (the one you used in your kale soup video)? I’m looking for a good one. Thanks!
Liz says
Do you know anything about stevia? Is it a healthier and/or more natural sweetener than splenda?
Lindsay says
Thanks for the banana – oatmeal lesson 🙂 I prefer your “marshmallow” method, which I’ve been doing for years but never noticed a similarity to marshmallows until you mentioned it on the blog ~ and I agree!!! Although, I’ve never tried it whipped, so I guess I can’t rule it out until I try it 🙂
Another Kelly says
I use a similar technique to your ‘whipped’ technique but it’s much easier. I mash my banana and incorporate it into my milk using an immersion blender before stirring in the oats. It’s fantastic because the result tastes like banana pudding with oats mixed in. The immersion blender makes it so fast.
Katers says
Elina,
I have reheated rolled oats at my desk every morning! I’ve never had a problem with it. Every night I mix 1/2 c rolled oats, 1/2 c skim milk, 1/2 cup water, vanilla, cinnamon, and then I cut in a banana. I also measure out my walnuts and put them in a baggie. Each morning, I microwave the oats for a minute and 30 sec, then I take it out, stir it up (making sure to break down the banana), and pop it back in the microwave. I put the walnuts on the microwave “floor” next to the oatmeal, and microwave for 2 min. DELICIOUS every time!
Cara says
Thanks for the explanation of the difference. I tend to do that marshmallow banana everyday but maybe this weekend I will try the whipped banana way. Mmm.
arimcg says
Kaitlin in FL – I just finished In Defense of Food too and thought it was great!! It all comes together in the end really well. I’ve been trying to follow his rules (and found that I follow some of them naturally).
Jane says
Oh dude, I love your names … ‘whipped’ and ‘marshmallow.’ Sounds so beautifully decadent! 😀
Karen says
Funny! I love whipped bananas in my oatmeal…hmmm, breakfast is calling!
Amanda says
Great post! I love oatmeal, but have never thought to stir in banana. I’ll def. give it a try. The Bear Naked trail mix looks really good. What’s in it? Besides chocolate which is what caught my eye!
Betsy says
haha-I always thought your “whipped” banana and “marshmellow” banana methods were the same! Now I know different! And, I love how you call it marshmellow–cause it’s true…they really are like little marshmellow pillows!
Enjoy your day.
Elina says
Thanks, Katers! So you don’t cook the oats ahead of time, just in the microwave? Is this less nutritious than cooking it on the stove? I’m new to oats 🙂
Kelly L. says
Question about oats!
Hi fellow oat eaters. Happy Thursday. So here is my questions…I love oatmeal and when I’m in a hurry I use the instant oatmeal packets (the plain ones or all natural ones) Anyways, I do like to make regular oats when I have time but I just realized my container of Quaker oats is quick oats! Is this bad? Quaker has the steel cut, old fashioned and quick. Is the quick oats in the big container the same as the instant in the packets? Thanks!
http://www.quakeroatmeal.com/qo_ourProducts/quakerOats/index.cfm
Julia says
Doe anyone eat anything besides oatmeal for breakfast??? lol…just wondering because I rarely do!
For those of you who have other breakfasts…please share!
My current favorite is egg whites with veggies on a high fibre pita, hummus and tomatoes. So delicious!
Another Kelly says
Kelly L – Quick oats are just rolled oats that have been processed into smaller pieces so they cook up faster. For both, however, the ingredients appear to only be oats. The story is not the same for the plain package:
WHOLE GRAIN ROLLED OATS (WITH OAT BRAN), CALCIUM CARBONATE (A SOURCE OF CALCIUM), SALT, GUAR GUM, CARAMEL COLOR, REDUCED IRON, NIACINAMIDE*, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE*, RIBOFLAVIN*, THIAMIN MONONITRATE*, FOLIC ACID*
*ONE OF THE B VITAMINS
When I’m trying to compare things the list of ingredients is usually where I start beacuse it’s telling. Yes, most of the ingredients in the oatmeal packet are involved in enriching/fortifying it with vitamins and minerals but I’d personally rather get these from whole foods like mix-ins
Another Kelly says
I like to do various fruit smoothies. I didn’t find them that filling until I started including silken tofu and now I find that they hold me over quite nicely.
I’m also a huge fan of muesli, especially in the summer. I soak my oats overnight in milk and then the next morning combine with yogurt, fruit and nuts. It’s really delicious and a completely different texture.
I also love egg white omelettes. It’s a great way to get in more veggies and protein. It’s especially great when I’ve got leftover veggies in the fridge that I want to finish before they go bad.
Courtney says
I eat lots of other breakfast things: whipped or regular cottage cheese, eggs, toast with Boursin Light and sliced tomatoes, whole wheat pita stuffed with egg whites and veggies, cereal with yogurt and fruit, smoothies…
But I’m an oatmeal convert thanks to Kath!
I posted yesterday about flax and I found out something interesting. I checked the bag of whole flaxseed I bought and realized they are dry roasted. The bag said since they’re roasted, the skin is digestible so you don’t have to grind them, plus you get all the omega-3. They’re roasted with a little salt and they taste great. My only concern is is what you mentioned yesterday, Kath – that the tempature (from dry roasting) releases the free radicals.
But I also got some ground flax so I think my bases are covered! I just wanted to share that info in case someone else sees roasted flax at the store.
Kelly L. says
Thanks another Kelly!
Julia & Other Breakfasts- Interestingly I eat oatmeal more for a quick and comforting dinner than I do for breakfast. I don’t know why but I don’t crave oatmeal in the morning like I do at night. To me it’s a major comfort food and much MUCH better than mac n’ cheese or something like that….
Other breakfasts I enjoy are:
-Wheatabix (3 squares) topped with strawberries, blueberries, or other fruit and mixed with stonyfield farms vanilla yogurt and flax
-Puffed Kamut mixed with fruit and yogurt and flax (that’s what I had this morning)
-Toast with Apple butter and yogurt
-Barbaras Puffins mixed with vanilla yogurt and a banana on the side
The reason I don’t use milk is because I don’t like it and I want to get my calcium in so I use yogurt instead. It’s like a giant parfait in a bowl. I also like eggs but rarely make them becuuse of time. Again, that’s another breakfast food I have for dinner. Last night we had breakfast tacos! YUM!
Kelly L. says
Oh yea, I forgot to mention I like the Kashi Waffles too! Those are yummy.
Emily says
Julia, I like having half of a ripe avocado spread on 2 slices of grainy toast with a sprinkling of coarse salt on top. Sounds weird, maybe, but so good if you’re an avocado lover!
Jen (the Simpsons quote girl) says
Hey. I know you mentioned you’re not a big regular cereal eater – so here’s an article you might find interesting
http://www.westonaprice.org/modernfood/dirty-secrets.html
from my little bro the kinesiology and nutrition major
Katers says
Elina, Nope! I just cook them in the microwave. I’ve made them on the stove too, on a leisurely weekend morning, and to be honest, I don’t notice a huge difference between my usual weekday microwave oats and stovetop!
Katers says
Oh, and it’s no less nutritious, nothings changed about the oats! Just a different way to heat them!
Justy2003 says
I’m an oatmeal girl through and through! I eat it for breakfast every morning-and the different mix-ins keep it from getting boring (like that’s possible)! I’ve had it for breakfast every day for a few years now and I’m still not tired of it! And yes, I even eat it during the hot summers! Occasionally I’ll have cereal (aka when I’m at the boyfriend’s and there’s no oatmeal available 🙁 ) but I always miss it later on and cannot wait to have it the next morning!
So, to sum it all up…I love oatmeal!
Caitlin says
I eat oatmeal about once a week, I just find it very boring to eat the same breakfast every day. Even with all the mix-ins and everything…it’s still oatmeal. Anyway, here are some other breakfasts I eat:
– smoothies with frozen fruit, milk, and plain yogurt
– cereal (all Kashi varieties, Grape Nuts, Quaker Oatmeal Squares, Cheerios, Shredded Wheat) with fruit
– soft boiled egg with wheat bread
– frozen waffles (Kashi or Trader Joe’s multigrain brand) with mashed banana, cinnamon, and a drizzle of maple syrup
– whole wheat English muffin spread with whipped cottage cheese
– plain yogurt with nuts and fruit
Also, I try to eat fruit with every breakfast, and I usually have hot tea (although, not so much in the spring/summer)
–
Sarah C says
Caitlin (in FL),
Did you dice the apples? I find for pancakes, shredding the apples (I use a box grater) makes for wonderful tasting pancakes! Also, you could try blueberries or canned pumpkin!
Kiala says
I have oatmeal every morning. It’s a little boring, but I find that after the third or fourth shot of whiskey I don’t care anymore.
Aimee H. says
Kiala, i love your comments. =)
SarahF says
Jen-that article is disturbing! I usually try to keep an open mind when reading information like that (since a lot of studies are very one sided-they ignore important facts and other findings in order to prove their point) but this article really disturbed me. I sent it to my boyfriend who has his degree in genetics & micro-biology, so I’ll let you all know what he has to say about it.
Thanks everyone for the great breakfast ideas. I’ve kind of gotten in a rut myself and end up eating the same things. Depending on the amount of time I have, I’ll have:
– oatmeal (obviously)
-cereal with fresh fruit and a piece of toast
– bagel with jam and a piece of cheese melted on top (delicious)
-Kashi waffles with ricotta cheese and fresh fruit
– egg whites & veges in a wrap
-egg white frittatas (if I have time one evening I’ll make one of these and have it for breakfast the next few days).
Lately I’ve been lately and have just been having the first 3 options
SarahF says
Oops-that should say “Lately I’ve been lazy”…. makes much more sense that way 😛
Comrade GoGo says
Banana marshmallows? Sound yummy and fluffy and awesome.
Julia says
jen- That article is very disturbing! I have been on a puffed wheat cereal ‘kick’ lately too…
I guess when it comes down to eat the MORE natural we eat our foods (the less processing involved) the better!
Melissa (L.A.) says
Julie,
Some breakfast ideas:
-Scrambled egg whites w/ spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms…and you can put this on some whole wheat toast or english muffin if you desire.
-French toast made with whole grain bread…topped with banana, walnuts & a little bit of 100% pure maple syrup.
-Toasted whole grain waffle topped with pumpkin butter and walnuts
-plain yogurt w/ fresh fruit or berries (whatever is in season) and kashi go lean crunch sprinkled on top
Hope these suggestions help.
Allie says
I’ve eaten oatmeal, oat bran or another grain (amaranth, teff, rice, grits on rare occasions) for breakfast for 5 or 6 years straight (and have yet to get sick of it)!
When I do want a bit of variety, or am not at home, I’m most likely to go for grapefruit and (plain) yogurt with fresh/frozen berries or an egg white scramble (2 whites with spinach, tomatoes and spices) and toast.
When I take the time to make granola (usually with an applesauce base for the wet ingredients), I like to eat that with puffed millet/rice/corn and milk (soy/skim). I’m also a big fan of cottage cheese with no-sugar-added (and no splenda) jam.
Marcy says
Kelly, quick and instant are different- I eat instant, so I don’t think quick are bad. compared to other foods oatmeal (any form, minus the sugared packets) is healthy!
Rebecca says
I plan on trying your oatmeal pancakes using quick oats. Since you typically used rolled oats did you find on oatmeal pancake days you were hungry more quickly, since quick are more processed? Similarly, on days you ate steel cut, did you find you were more satisfied- I know volume was an issue for you).
Thanks!
Rebecca says
Oh yeah, so which do you like better marshmellow or whipped?
Becky A. says
Jen-
About the article, I would def. take what it says with a grain of salt….after all the most recent “study”(which were never published, so therefore could be made up entirely) was conducted in 1960….I’m sure some things have changed since then. Because the author doesn’t have very credible sources, I’m less likely to beleive it…but thats just my opinion! I think we all know that the less processed the food, the better, but that article was extreme!
Becky
Kath says
Caitlin,
I can’t wait to read IDOF. Someday when I have time….
I’d put berries or pumpkin in my pancakes 🙂
rhodeygirl ,
We do mix a lot but sometimes I just want one or the other 🙂
Elina ,
I have never reheated rolled oats, but be sure you are always adding some more milk (or some water at the least) or they will be one big blob. They need to rehydrate.
If the Kashi hot cereal is sweetened, I personally would pass. But Kashi products tend to be pretty natural so it’s probably better than other instant oatmeal out there.
Michelle ,
Since it usually takes me 2 minutes to switch machines and I am moving/walking between them, I just leave my HRM on. I also leave it on while I’m walking all the way across the parking lot back to my car – it’s still activity!
Kris10 ,
I think creamy is probably more accurate than slimy. I’d recommend the Cuisinart stick blender (any of theirs). I love the brand. I think they have one for $50. We have a Braun and it’s a little tricky to handle (you have to hold down 2 buttons) but overall it’s great.
Liz,
Read this discussion we had one day on stevia vs. splenda for more info: https://www.katheats.com/?p=1616
KellyL,
There’s nothing bad about quick oats – they are just a different texture and cooking time because the surface area has been increased. The ingredients are still “100% natural rolled oats.”
Courtney ,
I think Dr. Weil would say the roasted flax are less healthy (not unhealthy though) than the raw ground, but bases covered sounds like a plan!! He can be a little extreme…
Re. Breakfast,
I do eat other things on occasion, but I’ve always been a carbs breakfast eater vs. eggs/sausage/omelets etc. I eat more cold foods in the summer. Oats are SO CHEAP though. Cereal is expensive! So are Kashi waffles and organic eggs, comparatively. So that’s probably why I don’t eat those as much. But there are so many fun breakfasts out there I wish I had more breakfasts to eat!
Rebecca,
I don’t think the difference between quick, rolled and steel cut is noticeable for me. I though steel cut were going to hold me longer after a good day but then the next time I had them I was hungrier earlier. I think the mix-ins play a much more important roll in satiety as long as you’re eating equal portions. And of course the oatmeal pancakes I make are 1/3 cup of oats so a little less and the steel cut are less in volume but more in fiber. Rolled are nicely inbetween!
And it’s a tie between marshmallow and whipped. I prefer marsh when I have a ton of banana but whipped when I have a smaller one.
Kath