High Volume Growing Oatmeal – low cal & low fat

Delicious healthy oatmeal with 1/3 more volume! Get the trick for high volume oatmeal, plus healthy options for peanut butter and chocolate!

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More volume with the same amount of calories! I was able to get more oatmeal for the same amount of calories by adding more water, and letting the oats absorb it longer. My final bowl, including the peanut butter, chocolate, AND whipped cream was only 204 calories, 8 grams of protein, 23 grams of carbs, and 6 grams of fat.

What is growing oatmeal?

I first heard about growing oatmeal from Hungry Girl). And from the start, it totally blew my mind! All you have to do to make growing oatmeal is to use double the liquid, and double the cooking time.

For this oatmeal recipe I didn’t quite double it. I only used 1/3 more liquid, and let it sit on the counter longer in order to absorb it all. It still made more oatmeal that had more volume and was very filling.

Traditionally, my oatmeal would be:

• 1/3 cup oats and 2/3 cup water. Cooked in the microwave for about 90 seconds. Total weight was 155 grams after it was cooked.
• But with growing oatmeal, I used 1/3 cup oats (so still 100 calories!!) and 1 cup water. Cooked it for 2 minutes total, and set it on the counter till all the liquid absorbed. Total weight was 208 grams after it was cooked.

How to lower the calories for the oatmeal toppings

I decided to make two very important decisions for the toppings on this oatmeal. I wanted chocolate and peanut butter, so I made the following, low calorie substitutions.

• For the chocolate: I finally bought the Lily’s Sugar free chocolate chips you all have been telling me to get. The hype was everything I hoped it would be💜 These chocolate chips have only 55 calories (compared to 75 with regular chocolate chips), and they are amazing.
• For the peanut butter: I used 1 tablespoon peanut butter powder, of course! This saved 55 calories compared to 1 tablespoon of regular peanut butter.

Total calories saved = 75 calories!

How to make growing oatmeal in the microwave

My method to growing oatmeal is simple.

1. Using 1/3 cup quick oats and 1 cup water, combine in a very large bowl (it grows in the microwave and you will have a mess if your bowl isn’t big enough.
2. Cook for 60 seconds on high power. Remove from microwave and stir.
3. Cook again for 30 seconds. Take out and stir.
4. Cook one final time for 25 more seconds.
5. At this point, put a lid (I use a plate) on top of your bowl, and let it sit to absorb the remaining liquid.

Then, top your oatmeal with the low calorie sugar free chocolate chips, and peanut butter powder, reconstituted with a tiny bit of water.

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