Last week my friend, Alice, and I taught a class on healthy eating. One of the things we shared with the class was the grab-and-go oatmeal packet recipe. Although I was interested in the convenience of having my breakfast pre-packaged while still being able to control its contents, I wasn't sure I would like the actual recipe. I discovered that I not only appreciate the ease of having these packets prepared ahead of time, but I also think the taste is super! I decided to make both of the grab and go oatmeal recipes. It was a smart and healthy thing to do. This really is a brilliant idea, because you can change the recipe to fit your dietary needs and taste. For instance, change out the milk with protein powder or use no milk at all. Flax, chia seed and oat bran can be added for additional nutrition and taste. I was especially thrilled with how well the different sugar alternatives work in this recipe. The kids, of course, prefer the brown sugar.

My favorite is the oatmeal parfait. It has become my favorite quick breakfast or afternoon snack. To make sure these really would be worth making in bulk, I tried the oatmeal parfait on three granddaughters, Ally (age 8) and Kara and Maren (both age 6). I had to test it to see if it was kid friendly. I wish I would have taken a picture of their faces. If you want to know the truth, ask a kid! Success!! They not only said they liked it but they kept eating it too!