Do you eat oatmeal for breakfast? While it can be a solid, healthy option, most store-bought varieties are heavily processed and absolutely terrible for you.

For example, consider what I learned from reading the labeling on a popular national brand of "heart-healthy" instant oatmeal (their claim), the "Maple and Brown Sugar" flavor:

So, if you do favor oatmeal, avoid the instant, processed, sugar- and mystery-ingredient-laden versions.

Instead, first choose plain ol' steel cut oats, and old fashioned oats next. While they take a few extra minutes to cook, it's certainly worth it for the lower glycemic index, extra fiber, and greater vitamin and mineral content. Steel cut oats will also leave you feeling fuller for a longer period, and you'll probably find that you enjoy the more firm texture and nuttier flavor a LOT more than mushy instant oatmeal anyway.

Steel cut oats are loaded with fiber, essential vitamins and minerals, while being low in fat, salt, and carbohydrates. They take a little longer to cook than even the old fashioned oats. Here's what you do for 8 servings:

And steel cut oats are outstanding in muesli recipes! Commonly called Swiss Muesli (maybe because the Swiss invented it), it's the precursor to today's popular granola. I make it the night before. The picture below shows what it looks like dried, before any liquid is added. And that's the point to muesli—a combination of oats, nuts, dried fruit, etc. are mixed together then a liquid is added (yogurt, cream, half 'n half, coconut milk, almond milk, rice milk, or plain milk, even fruit juice) and the mixture is allowed to sit overnight so the oats absorb the liquid.

I place 1/2 cup of steel cut oats in a cereal bowl and I add 3 tablespoons raisins (I love raisins—it's like having a little oatmeal with my raisins), 2 tablespoons chopped nuts, 1 cup coconut milk, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and 1 tablespoon local raw honey. I mix this well, cover with plastic, and let it sit in the fridge until the next morning. It's as good as dessert and so filling. This works wonderfully well with old fashioned oats also. If you do use old fashioned, rather than steel cut oats, you'll want to increase the liquid to 1 1/2 cups. The oats absorb the liquid as they sit.

To close, here is a graph that shows you what I mean by food quality when it comes to oatmeal. Remember to subtract the fiber from the carbohydrates to get the true impact carbs. In the case of BuiltLean Oats, there's only 29 g of true carbs (subtract15 g of fiber from 44 g of carbs). That's big difference compared to the other two brands! So if you eat oatmeal, you might want to seriously consider converting to steel cuts oats.