7 Oatmeal Mistakes to Avoid

With some awareness of the following common missteps and registered dietitians' tips, you can prioritize health and flavor.

1. You Aren’t Serving the Right Size Bowl

One of many essential healthy oatmeal tips: Keep portion size in mind.

That doesn’t have to be the only part of your breakfast either. “Go ahead and have eggs on the side or throw berries on top,” Snyder says, which will add more filling nutrients such as protein and fiber, along with volume. If 1 cup looks disappointingly puny in your bowl, it might be helpful to downgrade to a smaller vessel, like an appetizer bowl, she says.

2. You’re Sticking to Water When Making Oats

If you love the way oatmeal tastes when it’s made with water, continue to make it as you wish. But don’t be afraid to experiment with dairy and nondairy milk, says Seattle-based registered dietitian-nutritionist Ginger Hultin, owner of Ginger Hultin Nutrition and author of the e-book Anti-Inflammatory Plant-Based Eating 101.

While these liquids add calories, they have nutritional benefits, too, such as protein and other vitamins and nutrients. “Any dairy or fortified nondairy milk will add extra minerals, so you’ll get a boost of nutrients,” says Hultin.

3. You’re Not Adding Enough Protein on the Side

When putting together meals, Snyder makes sure she has a source of healthy complex carbs, protein, and produce. The same goes for oatmeal.

4. You’re Adding Unhealthy Toppings That Make Your Bowl a Sugar Bomb

Learning how to make healthy oatmeal also requires knowing the right — and wrong — add-ins.

5. You’re Standing Over a Stove When You Don’t Want to Be

Stirring oats on the stovetop may be the most traditional way to make oatmeal, but it takes time and requires attention, lest they burn. (Yuck.) Steel-cut oats take 20 to 30 minutes to make, says Hultin, while rolled oats can be made in five minutes. But if that’s unappealing, you can make oatmeal in ways that work better with your lifestyle.

“You can microwave either type of oat for a more hands-off approach so you can multitask,” she says. Stovetop or microwave will not change the nutritional properties of oatmeal. Another option: If you have a slow cooker or an Instant Pot, make a larger batch, portion it out for the week, and reheat, says Hultin. Just stir in a splash of liquid to get it creamy again — and grab a spoon.

6. You’re Eating a Certain Type of Oats Because You Think They’re ‘Healthier’

Oatmeal comes in many forms: Steel-cut, old-fashioned oats, and rolled oats. “It’s shocking, but they’re all essentially the same [nutritionally],” says Snyder. “The manufacturing and processing [to get the different shapes of oats] differs, but the nutritional values are the same.” Each type of oatmeal offers unique textures, and some you’ll find more enjoyable than others.

Go for the type you like the most, because eating healthy should make you happy.

7. You’re Always Eating Hot Oatmeal

The benefit is that there’s little prep, you don’t have to cook a thing, it switches up the style of oats to add variety, and they’re perfect as an on-the-go snack. “I like to make overnight oats in to-go coffee cups, which I can just grab and head out the door,” Snyder says.