Strawberry Almond Oatmeal

Hot and healthy oatmeal and strawberries.

So, Beaver, it's time for my yearly physical!  I really enjoyed meeting our new doctor and felt encouraged and motivated about my health after our visit. However this year my blood work didn't come out so great. B12 deficiency (requires a monthly shot) and high glucose, which caused the girl who called to inform me of this news to remark that I should "watch my diet." As you know, I don't eat sweets, I watch my sodium intake, I prefer whole grains and brown rice to anything white, I don't fry things, and well, just everything I do is all about good nutrition. I blame the wine! I guess now I really do have to save my favorite cooking-and-eating friend (besides you of course) for very special occasions only.

High glucose is dangerous because it can lead to diabetes, and while it's doing that it can permanently damage your heart and circulatory system. In medical terms I am officially prediabetes, about which the Mayo Clinic says this: "Progression from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes isn't inevitable. With healthy lifestyle changes — such as eating healthy foods, including physical activity in your daily routine and maintaining a healthy weight — you may be able to bring your blood sugar level back to normal."

With this in mind I went through the American Diabetes Association website in search of recipes and diet recommendations. Boy do they love oatmeal! Me, not so much. But it's not just a good choice for a low fat-low calorie-low sugar breakfast, it is in fact a magical food that gets in your body and does good things. They go so far as to call it a Superfood. So I really do have to find a way to gag it down. This recipe, based on one from the ADA, makes eating oatmeal somewhat tolerable for me.

This oatmeal's got all the right stuff.

Strawberry Almond Oatmeal

Ingredients

1 pkg unflavored instant oatmeal, or make it from scratch, whatever

4 strawberries, sliced

1 tablespoon raspberry all-fruit spread

1 tablespoon slivered almonds

Procedure

1. Prepare the oatmeal as directed. 

2. In a small bowl mix the sliced strawberries with the fruit spread.  Place in microwave for 20 seconds to warm and "melt" the spread a bit. 

3. Spoon strawberries over the oatmeal and sprinkle the almonds on top.