Product: Love Grown Foods Strawberry Raspberry Hot Oats – $1.50+
Another day has dawned, and in true fashion, I am having oatmeal for lunch. Like I said, not a workday goes by where I don’t enjoy oats in some way, shape or form for my lunch. Normally it’s in the form of overnight oats, but I’m working on a strict budget while I pay off the holidays…and I have plenty of goodies stashed in my pantry that have been just…waiting…and waiting for their turn to be consumed.
That week has arrived as I’m not only on a tight budget, but I’m heading out of town. Therefore…it’s the perfect week to try new things, yes? Because nothing adds stress to preparing for a trip like…loading up the blog! HA!
Ah…in the end, it’s worth it. I’m just hoping I can maintain the momentum and stay caught up. We shall see.
All of that being said, it’s Wednesday…and it’s lunch time. Instead of a package of my usual Chex Gluten Free Oatmeal (hey…it is always on sale!), I’m pulling out the other options from the top shelf of the pantry. And up today…none other than Love Grown Foods Strawberry Raspberry Hot Oats.
I’m not going to lie…I sort of wish I had saved the Peach Almond Vanilla version I hate yesterday for today…because it has become my absolute favorite oatmeal…ever…of any brand…of any type…as of yesterday. I was beyond impressed and wowed by it. But, I also love berries, so I’m holding the Love Grown Foods Strawberry Raspberry Hot Oats to live up to it’s predecessor. I have no doubt it will wow me. I have yet to find something from Love Grown Foods that hasn’t done just that.
Preparation is super easy. Everything I did yesterday, I repeated today. At lunch, I pulled out the little container of oatmeal and removed the lid and the seal. I then added water up to the fill line (which…is located on the outside of the container, not the inside, which means I do a lot of guessing…but it’s worked out thus far) and gave it a stir. Into the microwave it went for 70 seconds. It says to microwave for a minute and then add on 10-20 seconds for a thicker oatmeal. I split the difference. Another stir and then I let it stand for…about a minute. It absorbs everything in the 1-2 minutes it sits…and believe me…I wanted to let it sit for 2 minutes, but I was hungry and it smelled so good.
Berries and oatmeal are BFFs. Seriously. I have never turned my nose up at any oatmeal that included either dried or fresh fruits. The hit of sweetness just meshes beautifully with the savory, rich oats. And, for that reason, I know that this little container was going to be amazing. I was right. I sort of wish I had saved the Peach Almond Vanilla one for today though…because this one just doesn’t quite equal the one I devoured yesterday for breakfast. But now I’m comparing different flavors and that’s not fair. Because this is a classic (and highly) delicious paring. I love how sweet the berries are…strawberries and raspberries offer up a natural sweetness and then…this little hint of cinnamon follows up each spoonful. It’s refreshing and warm and hearty and filling and just…perfection. Seriously. I loved how thick this oatmeal is because it does fill me up. I don’t feel hungry for much of the rest of the day. It’s amazing. Most oatmeal doesn’t come close to accomplishing that at all. I have nothing but love for Love Grown Foods and their little containers of Hot Oats. If you love fruit and berries as much as me…then this one is totally for you!
Let’s discuss ingredients, shall we? The Love Grown Foods Strawberry Raspberry Hot Oats are made from gluten-free oats, brown sugar, freeze-dried raspberries, freeze-dried strawberries, and cinnamon. Loving the small ingredient list for sure. These oats are also cholesterol free, gluten free and non-GMO.
As for nutrition, a serving of the Love Grown Foods Strawberry Raspberry Hot Oats is one container. This serving will dish up 230 calories and 3.5 grams of fat. This is actually higher than most the the oatmeal I consume, calorie-wise, but it really isn’t bad for the amount of oats you actually cook up. A serving will also give you 0 mg sodium and 12 grams of sugar. Much of the sugar seems to be due to the dried fruits, which is fine. And, trust me, these hot oats will fill you up because they pack a whopping 5 grams of fiber and 7 grams of protein! Talk about loving it!
One thing I love about Love Grown Foods is not only their passion for their ingredients and their products, but their mission to create delicious foods that are packed with nutritional benefits and available to everyone. They have made it a point to educate not only children, but also parents and teachers on the importance of eating healthy. That’s why, Love Grown Foods keeps ingredients simple, flavors elevated, and their products healthy. They have a fantastic line of granola (or oat clusters…which I LOVE…and, yes, I have tried them all!), Super Oats (I haven’t tried these yet…but want to!), and Power O’s (breakfast cereals…which I also haven’t tried yet, but certainly want to!). With all of these options, it’s hard to make excuses for not having a filling, healthy breakfast (or lunch…or dinner!).
Love Grown Foods is definitely doing something right. It’s rare for me to LOVE everything that I try from a company, but, seriously, they keep hitting it out of the park. Not only do their products fill me up physically, but they are nutritious and healthy, and I love that. I love feeling good about the food I am eating. I can’t wait to try the products I either haven’t purchased yet or discovered yet. And…I still have one more flavor of the Hot Oats to try (Apple Cinnamon), as soon as I pick it up from the grocery store!
And trust me…that’s happening for sure!! DELICIOUS!
The Celiathlete 