Comments on: Making Your Own Homemade Oatmeal Packets: A Visual Guide and Cost Analysis

By: Vanessa

Vanessa — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 01:24:49 +0000

Good grief, it’s just oatmeal. I think the idea behind the post is that when you find yourself eating and enjoying A LOT of a certain item, sometimes it is fun and satisfying if you can make it yourself at home and come out with a tastier or economical manner. I think some of these steel-cut oat people need to relax a bit – with your crazed attitude, I will think twice before trying them!!! We all have a not-so authentic version of “real food” that we like – cool whip vs. whipped cream, parboiled white rice instead of brown, etc…. A touch of powdered creamer and some instant oats in homemade instant oatmeal is not the evil threat to America than you seem to think it is!

By: CL

CL — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 21:16:53 +0000

Thanks for the tip.

I hoard some packages of splenda from work and mix that with the cinnamon.

I also picked up 3 tubs of oatmeal from the 99 cents store.

Overall, I literally spent $3 on 120 bags.

By: Molly

Molly — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:31:13 +0000

I still love this recipe. I make it monthly. I’ve also shared it with multiple coworkers. Thanks!

By: lee

lee — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 22:50:58 +0000

ditto on soaking the “old fashioned” oats– bought at the bulk store– overnight. then they cook in less than 5 minutes.
1/2 c. oats (or 1/3 depending on your tastes) with 1 c. water and a pinch of salt if desired, into a pot while getting ready for bed.

By: Mel

Mel — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:32:31 +0000

I liked this post, they look exactly like the store pre-packaged variety. However, I still go the old fashioned way, half-cup of oats on the stove, 3/4 cup of milk (recently discovered lactose intolerance so I now use bonsoy), maple syrup or cinnamon and whatever fruit is around for flavour. I know traditional steel cut are better and I used to use these but I’m now buying rolled quick oats (with nothing added) just to save time. I know the energy is released quicker but I figure it’s still healthy.

By: Annie

Annie — Mon, 25 May 2009 20:29:13 +0000

This is the second time I am making these packets. I love having them on hand at my office. Any time I get hungry (snacks and other meals) I grab a spare coffee mug, dump and go. I even have other staff members asking for them. Thanks so much for this great idea!

Cheers!

By: fullfaun

fullfaun — Sun, 10 May 2009 16:11:57 +0000

My niece and nephews LOVE peaches and cream oatmeal and have eaten it for breakfast, lunch and dinner a few days. This is great. Thank you thank you thank you!!!!!

By: Charli Gordon

Charli Gordon — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 09:21:39 +0000

I have been doing this for years, especially when I worked and had an early morning schedule. The prepackaged oatmeal was always too sweet and contained cinnamon, which I don’t like in my oatmeal. I prefer raisins and walnuts/almonds and bananas, no sugar, salt or cinnamon. Even if it cost more, the fact that you get it “your way” is the appealing thing for me. I use the snack bags and Glad 1/2 and 1 cup plastic bowls are great to pack things in serving sizes. This really helps when you are eating healthy or trying to lose weight.

By: daniel

daniel — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 03:04:09 +0000

you can go to sam’s club or some other wholesale store and buy a 55 variety pack of quaker instant oatmeal for less than $15.

It comes out to around a quarter per packet. You lose.

By: Lauren

Lauren — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 16:44:19 +0000

I made the oatmeal packets, great hit with the kids. I am now looking foward to pre making alot more stuff to save money.

By: Tina

Tina — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 06:11:51 +0000

Four out of the five people in my house eat oatmeal several days a week…and I had the same thought you did. “Are we wasting money on this instant stuff?” A quick Google search and here I am! Thanks so much for taking the time make such a detailed post.

Here are two things I’m thinking…and that will be easy to modify making my own packets. First, I can make larger servings. My children are all three typically slim, active kids…and they eat two packets of Quaker Instant. Second, because much of our oatmeal is made at 6:45 in the morning, with hungry but still-sleepy kids waiting, speed is the key. Because I can use so many packets before they ever had a chance to go bad, I’m going to go ahead and add butter to the packets and just keep them in the fridge. (This also allows me to control the kids’ intake of butter.) Fridge…bowl…microwave…warm, full tummies!

I can even make large, family-size packets assuming all three kids are eating it. And, like Susan (who posted a comment right before me), I’m glad to avoid some of the chemicals added to instant foods.

Thanks, again! – Tina

By: Susan

Susan — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 14:40:34 +0000

try using a couple of good shakes of pumpkin pie spice. I store my oatmeal, brown sugar etc. in mason jars and while I am making my coffee I just take a scoop of oatmeal with a shake or two of salt I spoonful of brown sugar and a shake or two of cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice and I am done. The ingredients stay fresh and it probably takes me the same amount of time it would take to do the process with filling, sealing emptying and storing a packet. All the mason jars line my kitchen windowsill (which is in the shade all day every day) Any time companies put things in individual packs your eating so many more chemicals it is scary. Tastes much better to do it yourself.

By: Janel

Janel — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 18:11:03 +0000

I love the blueberry and cream idea. Thanks for the great analysis. I’m sold.

By: Heather

Heather — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 08:52:35 +0000

Johanna (Comment 8)! First of all, you’re the second Johanna I’ve met and I love your name. Secondly, that sounds like a great idea! I don’t like making oatmeal precisely for its “convenience”; I can’t control the amount of liquid or thickness in the microwave. I’m going to try your method!
Another idea: Keep a sugar shaker handy. I feel that most people have more than one salt and pepper shaker set, so why not fill one of these with sugar or a sugar/cinnamon combo and figure out how many shakes you need? Then you can keep it by the stove when you cook it all up.

By: Andrea @ Mommy Snacks

Andrea @ Mommy Snacks — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 01:30:44 +0000

I just found this post and am so excited to make my own packets! I’m a kick right now where I’m preparing packaged items for myself so this will help a lot!

By: sam

sam — Sat, 31 May 2008 11:17:18 +0000

I don’t make baggies, but I do make single bowls at a time every so often. What I do is: cook the oatmeal, mash up a banana and mix that with the oats. Then I sprinkle some Ovaltine over it to add some chocolate flavor.

By: Lisa Z

Lisa Z — Fri, 30 May 2008 19:49:09 +0000

Great ideas, everyone! I just keep a 1/2 c. measuring cup in my Old Fashioned Oats container. At night before bed, I put 1/2 c. oats and 1 c. water and a pinch of salt into a pot. I let it sit overnight (Quaker Oats used to recommend this–it helps with digestion), then in the morning heat it up for less than 5 minutes. I then add cream or milk or plain yogurt, maybe some jam or maple syrup or brown sugar, and some fruit and nuts and it’s.so.yummy!

Some mornings I don’t even cook it. It tastes great cold with some unsweetened coconut and the above ingredients added in. I used to hate mush, but with all the additions and my advanced age (37), I now love oatmeal! I call it “meusli” when I eat it cold.

Lisa in MN

By: NicoleLB

NicoleLB — Fri, 30 May 2008 15:11:00 +0000

I’ve been doing this for ages, and my family thought I was crazy. I tried scrolling through to see if anyone had my tips, and they’re there in one form or another, but here’s my go-

I use old-fashioned oats, and then i mix up a batch of the flavoring. Reason being is that I use vanilla and almond extract, and a whole teaspoon is unnecessary and uneconomical for one serving, mixing it up and bagging it allows the even distribution of the small bit of liquid, I find the flavors get better after a couple days of being combined (probably the evaporation of the alcohol more than anything else)

I also add ground flaxseed, which I find to be a natural thickener. I use a mix of brown sugar, splenda, and the extracts. I’ve also tried a non-dairy creamer in the most recent batch and the verdict is a draw.

I leave the baggies in my desk at work for the days I forget a real breakfast.

Also, why buy name brand baggies? I bought a box at the dollar store and reuse them.

By: Crystal

Crystal — Fri, 30 May 2008 11:59:34 +0000

Thank you, now I know what to do with my free bottle of coffee mate!

By: Wendy

Wendy — Sun, 18 May 2008 03:18:26 +0000

I do this all the time …. we have an ‘almost boiling water tap’ at the office – it is hot enough to cook instand oatmeal. I keep baggies of the outmeal at my desk – I keep cycling the same 5-6 baggies over and over again. I had not thought of using oatmeal powder as a thickening agent though – great idea! Also like some of your seasoning ideas. I usually just dump several tablespoons of low fat yogurt over the cooked oatmeal – it is a healthy addition and I don’t need any sugar added. The oatmeal and yogurt are a perfect balance of calories and energy and i have this in the afternoon an hour before I hit the gym – it tides me over for the workout until I get home for dinner.