I like both grits and Kasha but not as a bowlful for breakfast. I enjoy them as a side dish. Grew up with Kasha being a frequent substitute for rice or potatoes at dinner. I've never been a cereal eater for breakfast. I like to start my day with protein. Bacon and eggs, maybe a cheese or cheese and spinach omelet, even leftover steak or a sandwich. If I have pancakes or French toast they are just a single portion to replace toast or and English muffin. I still need eggs or meat or both with those.

Love hot cereal...mostly oats, rolled or steel cut or oat bran, never instant, but I do love a wheat cereal like rolled wheat...looks and cooke like oatmaeal but wheat, and malt o meal. Oh also that 7 grain cereal. I do love cream of wheat but haven't had it in years because it seems like so much white bread. Not a whole grain at all.

I rotate Cream of Wheat with pumpkin seeds added to the bowl, steel cut oats soaked overnight, and Wheatena. I eat all hot cereal with salt, pepper, butter and cream except for the oats I have a side of Greek yogurt instead of cream in the cereal.

Old fashioned organic oats cooked with chopped apples, walnuts, cinnamon and vanilla. I eat it with butter and maple syrup. Basically a cookie without the flour and egg.!

I put quite a bit of effort into having very good cinnamon and vanilla and I put in lots of apples. It's healthier than it sounds.

Love this post!! I eat steel cut oatmeal daily for breakfast. I have it “savory” with pink Himalayan salt. I eat mostly simple whole foods, and feel this was how our bodies were meant to be nourished! Toronto Veterinarian: I loved your post about Kasha; my grandparents are from the Ukraine; and always served Kasha or Kasha Varnishkes with dinner; quite a healthy choice too!

thick oatmeal

So far it seems that oats is the overwhelming winner, which surprises me a bit because I seldom eat them, although when I do, they are steel cut oats and never oatmeal.

I am surprised that only one other person voted for corn so far. I make grits for breakfast all the time and almost always have leftovers that I can heat up. Mine are high in protein because I add sausage, eggs, and cheese, in addition to the vegetables, herbs, and stock.

I have to admit that I do add date crystals to my steel cut oats, along with chopped apple, and I do add dates, if I have them on hand, and I usually do. I buy date crystals (and dates) at Shields Date Garden in Indio, not far from my house in Cathedral City. You can buy date crystals from them online, and the good thing is that they last for years, if you do not use them quickly. They use the crystals at the store to make date shakes, but those are too sweet for me.

I also have date molasses (or syrup - I forget which), but it does not taste that much like dates. I think I will buy some date butter the next time I go there.

I'm not keen on desserts that much, but I do like foods that are naturally sweet, and I will add those to the steel cut oats that I make, but not to kasha, which I also like to make, as well as quinoa.

I think of oats as a simple whole grain basic to give the tummy a good start for the day…
i like most of the things that are being added….
but I enjoy them as little snacks during the day……
i now believe more small meals are healthier..with not too many food groups mixed together….
while trying to keep avoid meat and dairy as a small treat…
but… I confess to a long life of indulging in wild and wonderful exotic foods…which may explain my simpler tastes later in life

I make custom blend hot breakfast cereal. My current favorite is about a cup of corn meal, a quarter cup of quinoa (both of those are organic, bulk from the co-op) and a half cup of Bob's Red Mill rice farina. Prior to this blend I used oat meal instead of corn meal.

I like Cream of Wheat a lot better than oatmeal but I normally don't eat either from breakfast. Usually it's leftover whatever or eggs of some sort. Today, though, I'm having oatmeal with other grains like flaxseed. A Trader Joe oatmeal blend I picked up last time I was there. Having it today because I nothing else sounded good and I can't have this after Monday due to a colon prep.

Although I picked "other" in the options - because I didn't see buckwheat or kasha anywhere - after reading this thread I took another look and realized rice congee with there.......While another poster said they don't eat kasha for breakfast, but as a side with dinner, I like congee for lunch or dinner, not breakfast. I guess hot grains are eaten throughout the day! (I love congee, and am trying to learn to make it at home.)

My favorite is my bastardized version of goetta, which I make with ground chicken and pork and steel cut oats. I think enough oats to where it's still on topic. Sliced into thick patties, fried and topped with a poached egg and sriracha. I just put a fresh batch in the freezer this morning:

none of the above. not a breakfast person.

Many years ago hubs started making his own granola with oatmeal and other things. That is about the only thing that he ever did as far as food prep. He did his with some added oil and something sweet and baked it in a pan in the oven., the old hippy way we used to do things. And he did this for a number of years before he got tired of doing it.

But, we had gotten used to the toasted grains, so I decided to do my own version of those and I have now been doing this for decades.

I will take 1 part of raw sunflower seeds, 1 part of sesame seeds, 2 parts of raw wheat germ, and an optional 3 parts of wheat bran.

I take each of them individually and put them into a hot skillet and toast them up, starting with the seeds. I make a lot at one time and keep a really big jar of them in the fridge at all times. Be sure to get the seeds and germ that is NOT toasted because, even if it is, it is not very well toasted, usually and you want to build some toasty flavor. We buy the seeds in bulk from a local natural foods co op and we have had to take to ordering the wheat germ from an online source or get Bobs, if it is available.

I use this mixture in just about all of my whole grain baking and waffles, and any cooked cereal such as oats. Hubs uses it on his boxed cereals.

It takes plain old cooked cereal to a new appreciation. Beats the hell out of any of those boxed cooked cereal products that claim to have whole grains . You can always add butter or sweet to your bowl.

We cut out the bran due to some life changes, but you can add flax seed or oat bran or anything else like that. Just follow the same with toasting one thing at a time in the hot iron skillet. Then mix it all up in a big bowl and put it in jar. I keep it in the fridge but it really doesnt need to be there. Our jar gets refreshed about every three weeks so going stale is not a problem.

I guess you could put all in a cake pan and put it in the oven to toast up, but doing it stovetop eliminates having to heat up and run the oven. It takes me about 15 min stovetop to make a half gallon jar.

Cream of wheat is just pure old white starch ..........until you add something to it. I buy a box of it about once a year, or less, and wont even consider eating it without a good dose of added grains or seeds. It seems to be about the same as a piece of white bread that only offers whatever artificial enrichment that the manufacturer puts into it. But, sometimes that is just what you want, white starch with butter.

I have become attracted to the idea of grain bowls lately. Although we often have the same kinds of foods as you find in a grain bowl, it is the presentation of them that you are lookng for. I have been buying some differnet grains to try and have been looking at millet. Pearled barley was good. I strive for simplicity and nutrition and dining pleasure. The grain bowls offer an attractive way to serve it all up.

I find very good …interesting and tasty grain bowls at Trader Joe’s…lots of different options ..all aimed at healthy balanced but delicious single meals…such a nice option after a busy day……tonight it is Cuban Style…yum

This topic reminded me that I recently learned that because oatmeal keeps one feeling full for a very long time, having it for breakfast may suppress someone's appetite, which can be problematic if they're not eating enough throughout the rest of the day.

Carolb: great comment! I am a retired Captain / US Air Force nurse, worked in mental health and ran lots of weight management groups / counseling. Military members cant go above or below specified weight limits for their heights. We rarely treated underweight soldiers; most were overweight. A whole grain bowl of cereal is always a great choice for weight management. Obesity is quite a growing issue in our country today.

I'm just going to mention again that oats lower cholesterol and are always mentioned on lists of heart healthy foods along with almonds, oily fish, etc. They're recommended by the British Heart Foundation as an aid to heart health. I was, long ago, told I had high cholesterol. I started eating porridge for breakfast. 6 weeks later the numbers were fine. I still eat it every day. Cholesterol: Top foods to improve your numbers - Mayo Clinic

I guess I am the lone vote for congee or, as I grew up calling it, shi fan.

It isn’t a breakfast food you see very often. It may be the last Chinese home cooking dish that hasn’t been widely popularized - oh, nope, sea cucumber isn’t exactly a thing either.

Unlike sea cucumber, congee is accessible and adaptable. Like many rice dishes, the rice is basically a neutral medium for the flavors and textures of the garnishes chosen. At a good congee bar, there will be many, from little pickles to century eggs, chopped scallions to pork sung, Chinese sausage, fried garlic, hot sesame oil and matchsticked ginger.

I’ve never seen a good congee bar, except in fancy hotels in Asia. At Chinese restaurants that serve congee, it usually comes pre-topped. I guess you don’t see many good salad bars or smorgasbords either. At home, congee is simpler - just a few toppings, my favorite being pork sung.

Hmm. I think I will have to go try some of the local congee-and-dumpling restaurants.

Floral: So wonderful that you lowered your cholestetol with oats! I have a great book to recommend: “Big Book of Culinary Medicine” by John La Puma M.D.; targets: losing weight, preventing disease, and getting really healthy.

Cream of Wheat is so *nothing* that it is the only thing I was allowed to eat for several days following a colon resection. I think it was used solely to keep the colon functioning. I liked better than library paste. (Not that I've sampled that since about 1945.)

I’m allergic to gluten (as in anaphylaxis) and I miss it so much. I do love grits, both sweet and savory. As well, I love buckwheat - it cooks up just like my favorite cream of wheat back in the day when I wasn’t so precious. Yes, I put lots of sugar. I don’t wanna feel too deprived.

I've always liked buckwheat - even as a small child. Buckwheat pancakes were my fave.

I post got me inspired to try Museli. I had to make in the microwave here at work but I'd like to try it on the stove at home. I was pretty good, added a little cinnamon and sugar.

Until I read the above post I never heard of cooking muesli. Google tells me it’s possible. But to me muesli is served raw.

I've never cooked muesli. Just mixed the ingredients and refrigerated overnight. Rolled oats are already partially cooked, and they soften up with soaking.

I very rarely eat hot cereal. I don't think I've had a bowl in 2 years, maybe more. But when I do make it, it MUST be large flake oatmeal cooked in milk, NEVER water. And it has to be creamy smooth, not soupy and not thick. I add raisens to it as it cooks, then add brown sugar and cinnamon and a dallop of butter. And NEVER pour cold milk on top. I never understood why people put cold milk on hot cereal... Normally, I don't eat breakfast but this past weekend I discovered breakfast burritos at Costco and it's actually gotten me to eat breakfast for three straight days...

Well, since this thread was revived I will add that in the past year, I have been enjoying microwaved or baked sweet potato topped with a fried egg.

In winter I like oatmeal, either made with rolled oats and milk only ans served with a little butter, brown sugar and cinnamon, or else made with raw muesli with dried fruit in it and milk, served with just a little butter. Summer I prefer cold cereal or toast.

A quick search (because I do eat oatmeal every day)seems to recommend oatmeal and an egg every day is good for your health..I rarely fry eggs but I love stuffed boiled eggs with something interesting mixed in with the yolk..you can prepare several and store them in the fridge for a perfect morning snack..when you don’t feel like …or have time …to cook…

I do have to confess to having Cuban coffee in the morning as well…neither me or my husband were coffee drinkers til we retired and spent our first winter in South Beach Florida..well we still don’t drink regular coffee…but we made it a point to get the right pot and coffee and have have cuban coffee everyday since…it is so good…they have amazing little pastries as well….thank heavens we can’t get those!

For decades I have been making and keeping as a kitchen staple what I call my "toasted grains". I add them to any and all cereals and also add them into my whole wheat waffles , sometime into cornbread, or any muffins

I take one part each of both raw sunflower and sesame seeds and put them into a hot skillet, and toast them to give them that wonderful toasty edge. Then I remove that and add two parts of raw wheat germ to the skillet and toast it nicely in the hot iron skillet. I used to add two parts of bran. but not so much anymore.

I make a lot of it and keep it in large jars to use everyday. No oil or sweetners in it. I wont elect to eat any cooked cereal without my grains in it. i get my supplies at a co op where I have been shopping for decades.

I am a bit surprised at anyone having a late night snack of cereal. That is a meal! As the words go, different strokes for different folks.....but a meal before going to bed? If that is your dinner, that is one thing. But it is stil a real meal! I suppose that you could argue that it is not really any different than having a piece of cake in the evening, or a muffin and you would be right. But,.....

The difference between a meal and a snack is the amount…not the type of food…more active people need meals..less active people are happy with snacks……our lifestyle is outdoors and busy when the weather is nice..indoors and comfy when it is too hot or cold…snacks or meals according to how hungry we are..in our case it is even more complicated as my hubby loves meat…I am more vegetarian..so I keep the fridge full of both choices..for whenever we are hungry…not restricted by any rules about what should be eaten or when

I might also add both of us are slim ..healthy…and active for our age…so this works for us

" I suppose that you could argue that it is not really any different than having a piece of cake in the evening, or a muffin and you would be right. But,..... "

But.....it's one of those weird individual things: For some people, eating a snack before bed can be good, for others not so good. My failed attempt at intermittent fasting got me to get in the habit of not eating for hours before bed, and I think that's been good for me personally.

" more active people need meals..less active people are happy with snacks "

That's definitely not true.....I can attest to that!

Food in general means different things to different people…sustenance..comfort…energy…enjoyment…some people with a long life of gourmet experiences just want simple uncomplicated foods as they age…i fall in that last group…so I do use supplements to be sure I get what I need to stay healthy

“ some people with a long life of gourmet experiences just want simple uncomplicated foods as they age"

Really? That's a new one. Hasn't happened to us. If anything, enthusiasm continues to increase as experiences do.

Definitely oatmeal, I like mine with about a tablespoon of parmesan and lots of coarse black pepper, sometimes an over easy egg on top. When tomatoes are fresh from the garden I'll dice one up and add that. We also enjoy baked oatmeal occasionally.

When I was a child, if there was no other food we'd have cornmeal mush. I hate it to this day, it's the reminder of times that were not so good. Grandma would make it, pour it into a bread pan overnight, then slice it and fry it for breakfast. It's the only way I would ever eat it. Oddly enough we all liked cornbread and hoe cakes

I am a big fan of barley also, and like buckwheat for blini, crepes and other pancake like items.

Annie

I never thought of adding Parmesan and black pepper to oatmeal, but that sounds good if you are adding an egg. That might be the only way I would want an over easy egg.

I add lots of ingredients to grits when I make them, including sausage, cheese, Cajun spices, sage, red bell pepper, and frozen corn. I use different types of chili for heat, such as chile de árbol, jalapeño, or Serrano.

I think I need to try some different grains in pancakes.

I have oatmeal every morning. I have it savory, adding only Himalayan Pink Salt. I never tire of it! I sometimes have it for dinner too, I add a side of veggies.

Lars, I was surprised that an egg was that good with the oatmeal. I do see that savory oats are much more prevalent now than they were in the past, I used to mostly just see them with raisins and brown sugar, or fruit and maple syrup. Now they are topped with everything from butter/salt/pepper, cheese, caramelized onions and mushrooms, just about anything I can think of. Because they do tend to be a bit bland on their own I think many things could be good on oatmeal.

Hugs to you and Kevin, I hope you are both well.

Annie

I put some salt and sugar with large flake oatmeal, also sometimes cranberry, raisins and/or cinnamon, then add some water, and sometimes some milk and partially cook, in the evening, to allow the large flake to absorb overnight. Sometimes, preferably then, a larger amount of minute or quick oatmeal, or in the morning, with milk and some water for some more cooking.

I want to try some of your ideas that sound good, folks: thanks!

ole joyful

I recently started mixing oats with quinoa and also adding it to yogurt. I cook it on Sunday and add it all week.

Porridge for me. I also often have porridge or other cereal before bed. We used to call it supper. We had breakfast, lunch, dinner and then supper before bed (with snacks inbetween).

Definitely congee, because you can put so much yummy stuff on it. A good congee bar, like at a fancy hotel in Asia, is a thing of wonder. And if keeping it simple at home, a softboiled egg, scallions, some pork sung, and ham is great. Try that with oatmeal :-)

Try that with oatmeal :-) Sound good, and very similar to what Annie does with oatmeal. It is also good with grits and probably other grains as well. If you are going to add egg, you might as well add ham or pork. I add egg and sausage to my grits, and I think this would also be good with oatmeal.