Quaker Instant Oatmeal

"Oatmeal Helps Remove Cholesterol"; so says the box of Quaker Instant Oatmeal, and it may have a point. According to the Mayo Clinic, "Oatmeal contains soluble fiber, which reduces your low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the "bad" cholesterol."

I don't have a cholesterol problem; yet. However, at my last appointment, my doctor said that it was on the rise, so I figured it was time to try something new. I hadn't eaten oatmeal since I was a kid and my mother made it. I did try to make it once as an adult, but it didn't turn out all that well.

So, with my wife, I went to the grocery store and came across Quaker Instant Oatmeal, the variety pack. Inside are ten packets of oatmeal that only requires that you add water. Four are maple and brown sugar, four are apples and cinnamon, and two are cinnamon and spice. On the box, it has a seal from the American Heart Association; that wasn't bad. It also has zero cholesterol; that's not bad either. It does have between 12 and 15 grams of sugar per packet, as well as 270 milligrams of salt per package, which might be problematic if you're diabetic (I am) or have high blood pressure, but if balanced with other meals throughout the day it's an acceptable risk, when you add in the fiber content.

Each packet requires around ½ cup of very hot water. I recommend that you start out with slightly less, then add more water if you don't want it as thick. The only way to thicken it back up if you add too much water is to add another pack, and if you do that you might as well start that way from the beginning. Supposedly you can use milk also; I haven't tried it that way.

I wasn't sure what to expect, as I hadn't eaten oatmeal in, well, decades, but I have to admit that it wasn't all that bad. As a matter of fact, I find myself sometimes just wanting to eat it, which makes my wife happy. I tend to add a little bit of Equal and salt to mine; something about the sweet and salty taste just calls me. I also eat two packets at a time; one packet for me is just a teaser. Still, that's five meals in one box that's pretty healthy, as there are many other vitamins and minerals present in each serving.

I heartily recommend Quaker Instant Oatmeal as a healthy and tasty treat to help you bring down your cholesterol.

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