Cinderella Undercover

Canada’s Food Guide recommends that women in my age group consume 8 servings of fruit and vegetables every day. But what happens if you are like me and you don’t love fruit? My parents raised me to consider fruit as dessert (“grapes are nature’s candy”) but when I moved out, I left that good habit behind. Years ago, Joe and I visited Diane and she made us an amazing oatmeal topped with fresh fruit, nuts, seeds and milk. Oatmeal was transformed from bland to decadent. Since then, I’ve been an oatmeal devotee and now I want to share my version. It contains 2 ½ servings of fruit (and covers 3 servings if served with ½ cup of orange juice).

Serves One

1 Peeled Macintosh Apple – Diced or Grated
1/2 Cup Frozen Blueberries
1/4 Cup Raisins
2/3 Cup Water
1/3 Cup Oatmeal

Peel and grate (or dice) one apple and place in a pot. Add blueberries and water and bring to a boil. When water is boiling, add oatmeal and raisins and reduce to simmer. Check the directions on the bag of oatmeal for cooking time (mine is 15 minutes).

Variations:
This is delicious on its own and gets even better with any combination of the following:
Milk, yogurt or soymilk
Maple syrup, honey, brown sugar, cinnamon
Nuts and seeds (I like unsalted sunflower seeds)
In summer, use any combination of your favourite fresh fruit to create a new fruity oatmeal every day!

Time Saver
You can make this breakfast the night before or even up to three days in advance. Cook as directed and then store in the fridge using Tupperware or be like me and use a mug. ☺ The next morning, heat it on the stove or in the microwave and you’re ready to go.

Enjoy!