Oatmeal is one of the rare foods that has transcended the ages. Your mother might have eaten it, and your mother’s mother. The reason is simple: it’s healthy, easy to prepare and relatively inexpensive. Despite daily competition from sugary cereals, greasy sandwiches and breakfast bars, oatmeal is a consistent companion that delivers a healthy start to the day, morning in, morning out.

Nutritionally Speaking

We’ve talked about oatmeal’s many nutritional benefits before, but they’re worth revisiting. Steel-cut oatmeal is a nutritional powerhouse, boasting a high ratio of fiber and protein to calories. It helps you feel fuller longer, keeps your blood sugar low, and can lower your risk of cardiovascular disease because of its big fiber numbers.

Besides its capacity to make quick, healthy breakfasts, oatmeal is great because it is a blank canvas, a big bowl of possibility with near-limitless options for adding nutrient-rich ingredients to shift your bowl of oats from satisfactory to stupendous. And don’t forget that oats can be added to anything, so consider looking beyond oatmeal when you need a change.

Protein Up

Adding more protein to your morning bowl of oatmeal can amp up your amino acid levels, which help with cellular health, translating to more energy and faster muscle repair. Try adding egg whites, protein powder, cottage cheese or Greek yogurt. If you’re vegan, add nuts or nut butter, ground chia or flax seeds.

Eat More Fat to Stay Lean

Plagued by those 10:00 a.m. cravings for cookies or chips? Maybe you need to add some fat to your morning routine. Try supplementing your oatmeal with coconut butter, whole milk, grass-fed butter or flax seed oil to create an entirely new and rich flavor creation. Adding more healthy fats will keep your appetite at bay, leaving you feeling satisfied until lunch.

Invite More Nutrients to the Oatmeal Bowl

Oatmeal is the ultimate nutritional accomplice, helping to sneak nutrients into your body. It’s especially helpful when trying to add vegetables to your children’s meals. One of my favorite add-ons is to grate vegetables such as carrots and zucchini and add them to the oats while they cook. Grated vegetables cook quickly, sweetening the oats and adding beneficial vitamins.

Other Ways to Sweeten

Instead of adding sugar to sweeten your oatmeal, try using fruit. While cooking oats, add chopped apple, banana or peaches to sweeten it up as your oatmeal cooks down. Add fresh or frozen berries to your stovetop creation to kick up the antioxidant and vitamin levels.

Go Savory

Can’t shake that urge to have bacon and eggs each morning, but need more fiber in your diet? Try this twist: Cook your oats in bone broth or milk, then add bits of bacon, cheese, spinach or any of your other favorite omelet ingredients. You’ll have a savory start to your day. But don’t overdo it—bacon and cheese can add a lot of calories, so moderation is key. Just like everything.

Experiment with these variations the next time you cook oatmeal and let us know what you think. Or check out Luvo’s Steel-Cut Oatmeal when you need a simple healthy breakfast at your fingertips.

Got any other oatmeal tips? Share them on Twitter @Luvoinc.