It’s that time of year again, the holidays have passed and there’s no snow on the ground but you still can’t bear to peel yourself out of the covers when your alarm goes off because it just seems cruel to have to leave that warm cocoon and face the bitterly cold world. I know, it’s rough but somehow we still manage to get up and face the day, and what’s more important than a nice warm, hearty breakfast in the morning? Maybe showering, but barely.

Luckily some skinny goddess invented glorious oatmeal for us! Low fat, full of fiber – this stuff not only fills you up but lowers your cholesterol, could it get any better? Well maybe it could taste a little better. Here are some fun ideas to spruce up your oatmeal so that you can make it through the cold front a little easier this winter.

Strawberries and Cream – add 1/4 cup of non fat greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon of agave and 1/4 cup (or as many as your heart desires) of fresh cut strawberries (you can also try this with blueberries)

Chai – mix a pinch of ground cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and ginger into your oatmeal, add 1/4 cup of fat free soy or rice milk and garnish with some slivered almonds on top

Raspberries and Chocolate -(c’mon we all have THOSE days) add 2 tablespoons of vegan chocolate chips and a handful of fresh raspberries

Pumpkin Spice – add tablespoons of pumpkin butter and drizzle a bit of maple syrup over your oatmeal

Banana Cream Pie – chop up half of a banana, add 1/4 cup of non fat vanilla greek yogurt and drizzle a tablespoon of agave

As you can probably see, I’m much more inclined to sweet in my oatmeal but if your a savory kinda gal, feel free to get even more outrageous with your oats by adding turkey/veggie bacon and maple syrup for some hard core oatmeal or by sauteing some spinach and melting cheese and an egg on top for an oatmeal florentine. The possibilities are endless and I usually make my best creations when I’m just trying to use whatever I have left in the fridge!