OATS HELP!!

[xxxkazxxx]

So, i'm swapping my so called healthy cereal for the ever so popular oats. Ive made them before in the cold winter months with milk and sugar on the stove top, but that just aint gonna cut it in the new improved diet. So what I want to know is, what is the quickest way to prepare them with making minimal mess. I really don't have time to stand and stir them on the stove watching they dont stick etc etc, the mornings are rush rush. I'm sure people have found their own technique. And if I am supposed to have 1/2 cup of oats, is that 1/2 a cup dry weight or cooked weight? Am I allowed to stir in 1 teaspoon of honey or do I just eat it like glue?

I also want to get a conversion for 1 gallon of water into litres? I read its between 3 to 4 litres. I feel I could swim in that much water. And if I have 3 green teas a day & 2 sodium free sparkling waters, does that count into my 1 gallon of water?

Cheers :)

[Shibby]

1/2 cup dry measurment, you can make a bunch and then warm them up in the microwave, a teaspoon of honey in the morning is fine(search for a post by Yellowjacket and he will have info recomending it) if you don't want to use honey, add splenda and if you want cinamon, 1 US gallon = 3.7854118 liter, don't count the green tea since caffiene is a diuretic dehydrating you. Did I answer everything?

[xxxkazxxx]

In less than a nutshell :) Awesome! Can't wait for 7am and my date with the sticky glue. I'll make a batch tonight. Like I just did with the brown rice.

And thank god I found a cheap way out with the eggs. 1 dozen eggs here in Australia is just under $4.00. I think that converts to about $2.90 USD. I dunno if that's expensive for you people, but if I have to buy 7 dozen eggs a week at $4 a pop, i'm gonna have to put the coloured lights out the front of my house and charge by the half hour. So I am lucky enough to have been offered to buy them in bulk. So I will get 15 dozen for $23 AUD. $16.50 USD. Is that good in American currency?
I have a BBQ with my partners family coming up. It will be lots of food etc. They are going to call me a bag of bones (which i am not, its just they are slightly overweight), and tell me to EAT SOME FOOD!. How do you get out of those situations politely? I will eat what i can eat if its in restrictions. But I really dont want to break my goals 2 weeks after i have set them to have to shut them up from nagging me. And its not even worth trying to explain to them why i dont want to eat their food. Does anyone have any similar situations they have been in and can share some light? Even though its WAY off the oats topic!

[Shibby]

The price on eggs sounds right. The reason his mother probably dosn't think highly of eggs is all the mis-information from the past. As for the bbq, it depends on what they have, but stick to the meats and you should do ok. Plan that day as your cheat meal. Other than that it's just a decision you will have to make.

[xxxkazxxx]

Yeah i think i will just deal with the chicken on the sticks covered in marinade with salad. Its not the end of the world is it. Thanks Shibby.

[coffee-guy]

In less than a nutshell :) Awesome! Can't wait for 7am and my date with the sticky glue. I'll make a batch tonight. Like I just did with the brown rice.

And thank god I found a cheap way out with the eggs. 1 dozen eggs here in Australia is just under $4.00. I think that converts to about $2.90 USD. I dunno if that's expensive for you people, but if I have to buy 7 dozen eggs a week at $4 a pop, i'm gonna have to put the coloured lights out the front of my house and charge by the half hour. So I am lucky enough to have been offered by a chef that he will buy them in bulk for me (he's in the BB sport so i think i got a sympathy vote). So I will get 15 dozen for $23 AUD. $16.50 USD. Is that good in American currency? I went shopping today for everything and my total shopping budget hit jackpot with everything for me, and i hadnt even begun to buy food for my partner and daughter. I'm having a hard time convincing my partner i wont die by eating 7 dozen egg whites a week, because his mother always told him you should never ever have more than 3 eggs a week. I have a BBQ with his family coming up. It will be lots of food etc. They are going to call me a bag of bones (which i am not, its just they are slightly overweight), and tell me to EAT SOME FOOD!. How do you get out of those situations politely? I will eat what i can eat if its in restrictions. But I really dont want to break my goals 2 weeks after i have set them to have to shut them up from nagging me. And its not even worth trying to explain to them why i dont want to eat their food. Does anyone have any similar situations they have been in and can share some light? Even though its WAY off the oats topic!

Wow - no way in hell I could eat pre-made oats. They would be to "gluey." I would just throw them in the microwave for 20-30 seconds - that's all it takes (even if they are traditional oats and don't say they can be microwaved they still can).

I realized yesterday while I was at Sam's (a wholesale food chain) that I get my eggs for right around $0.08 per egg and right now I am eating 110 eggs a week - this comes out to roughly $9 a week :D...

As for the family, when they give you crap just do as I do, poke them in the tummy and laugh like the pillsbury dough boy and see if they don't shut right up. Unless of course they are in halfway decent shape, then you just pull a Gustavo and start feigning for a posedown :)....

[xxxkazxxx]

*LOL*....Right, the poker finger is out! Let's hope they bring their sense of humour to the BBQ!

This is such an expensive sport isnt it. I'm gonna do my utmost to find some short cuts. Any ideas welcome.

Meat is so expensive in Australia. Thank god I dont eat red meat. Can't afford to. And if you buy chicken in bulk you generally get it a bit cheaper. The chicken tends to be the testosterone bulked chicken bread in small cages. Does that testosterone transfer to me? Fish is expensive too. Unless you buy the crap stuff that cooks like a leather shoe. But i'm learning fast that taste is not the priority. Especially after choking down my bowl of tuna and cottage cheese this morning. It tasted like heaven the first day. Now it's going down like off milk would. Do you get used to it? Im thinking it might be like sprinting your first long hill. It hurts the first few times but you soon get used to it. As scary as the path ahead seems, i am actually looking forward to it. Can't wait till my partner get's hit with my alcoholic craving personality. Not to mention once i hit sugar free mode. Add pms onto that and he might want to move back home with mum for a while. hehe.

I also have a question back on the eggs. If I am to have 4 egg whites as part of meal 1, what size eggs? 60g 70g or 80g?

[ROCKILLER]

I'm not so sure about different sized eggs, the ones I get here are all the same? As for your BBQ, have you though of making some stuff that is healthy that everyone could have, that way you can eat it and know exactly what was in it. I never cook my oats anymore. for meal 1; I use 1 cup oats, one scoop cocolate whey and one cup non-fat milk. blend ot for 30 seconds or so and then pound it (just like a beer). Its a little odd getting used to but I dont have much time in the morning and it works great. I mix it with the Pro-rated protein from Costco. I've been making shakes with a cup of oats in them in the afternoons too. Then I use vanilla and some fruit or berries.

[xxxkazxxx]

I agree. I could NEVER eat oats that were made ahead of time. I take my 1/2 cup of dry oats, add about 1 cp of water, and pop them in the microwave. I add sweet n low, or sugar free syrup, and sometimes some cinnamon. Honey would be fine too.
Meat sounds pricey in Australia. What about canned tuna? Do you eat protein shakes for any of your meals? It does get easier to eat this way after some time. You just get used to it. :)
As for the BBQ - I would stick to the white meats. A little of something else isn't going to hurt you either - make it your cheat day like Shibby said.

Luckily I love Tuna. And if I hunt around a few shops there is always the bulk 450g can's on sale somewhere. Buying in bulk on sale items has never meant so much to me untill now. Iv'e just started the protein shakes. 2 a day. That's gaggable. I can handle it with a banana. But banana prices are about to increase 300 - 400% here due to a cyclone that wiped out 90% of Australias banana crop. Just my luck. And tasty fruits here like berries are extremely expensive. Most people only buy them as a one off for maybe a dinner party etc. But I bought a bulk of bananas before the price goes up and i have frozen them so i can just wizz up my shake with half a frozen banana. It tastes better too. Cold and creamier. I got vanilla flavoured powder, maybe i should try chocolate? And I was also wondering if I do a recipe that needs cooking on heat and I incorporate the protein powder into it, will the cooking affect the protein in the powder?

[xxxkazxxx]

I'm not so sure about different sized eggs, the ones I get here are all the same? As for your BBQ, have you though of making some stuff that is healthy that everyone could have, that way you can eat it and know exactly what was in it. I never cook my oats anymore. for meal 1; I use 1 cup oats, one scoop cocolate whey and one cup non-fat milk. blend ot for 30 seconds or so and then pound it (just like a beer). Its a little odd getting used to but I dont have much time in the morning and it works great. I mix it with the Pro-rated protein from Costco. I've been making shakes with a cup of oats in them in the afternoons too. Then I use vanilla and some fruit or berries.

If only it was a beer!

I think I like your idea best so far. It's easier to block your nose and just, as you say, pound it, than it is to sit and scoop it into your mouth bit by bit. I'll give it a go and post the outcome. I'm sure I will get used to it all. It's pretty funny in the mean time. My 8 year old daughter looked at the tonne of brown rice i made for the week, and said she wanted to goto her friends house for dinner. haha.

[zed]

throw ur oats in a protein shake u dnt need 2 cook them

[xxxkazxxx]

throw ur oats in a protein shake u dnt need 2 cook them

Yep, I tried that a few days ago & it's definately the winner.

[ROCKILLER]

I dont like vanilla powder unless there is fruit in it. tastes like artificial cakemix. You should try a different protein until you find one you like. That way they are one of your treats for the day, not a big hassle.

[slayer of souls]

I just mix oats with cold water in my shaker and drink.

Fast and easy.

[xxxkazxxx]

I just mix oats with cold water in my shaker and drink.

Fast and easy.

That kinda sounds like how ya make the glue for paper mache. :D