I don't know about you but if I don't have breakfast pre-made I often just skip it. I know, I know, it's a bad thing but I try and get alot of my work done in the mornings and breakfast just slips my mind.
But if I have something pre-made and ready to go, it's easy to grab while I'm working or before I need to run out the door. One easy and mostly healthy breakfast food is instant oatmeal. Pre-made in those little packages they are easy to pack for lunches or grab from the cupboard. Too bad they are expensive and have some scaries in them. Let's take a look:
Oat(s) Whole Grain Rolled, Sugar, Natural Flavors, Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Guar Gum, Oat(s) Flour, Caramel Color, Iron Reduced, Vitamin A Palmitate
Yummy, fake coloring and mysterious "natural flavors". Just what I wanted in a breakfast!
Not.
Boxed Price:
The regular price of this on Amazon per 12 count box is around $3.50.
So let's mix up some of our own....
Homemade Instant Oatmeal Packets
What You Need:
- 1/2 c. quick oats
- 2 t. powdered milk (I use powdered whey)
- 1 T. sugar (brown sugar, succant, turbinado, honey granules, ect)
Tada!! Instant oatmeal!
If you'd rather, you could also just times this recipe by 5 or 10 and place the whole thing in a jar to keep at home. Just measure out a little more than 1/2 c. of mix for each bowl. When you want to make a packet just add 3/4 c. of hot water or milk and stir. You could also add dried fruit to make different flavors.
It takes about a whole 5 minutes to make a whole bunch of these. So fast but will save lots of breakfast prep-time in the future!
Homemade Price:
I paid $3.60 for 5 pounds of organic oats. There are 5 cups of oats in a pound so each 1/2 c. of oats per recipe cost me $0.07. The sugar and powdered milk are really small amounts but I will guess it costs about $0.15 for each "packet" including the oats. That makes the total $1.80 for a 12 count (which is what's in each store boughten box) or a difference of $1.70. About 50% off the cost of the store bought and I my version was even organic!
What mix do you want to see me make next? Find even more make ahead breakfast ideas!
Disclaimer: This post may contain a link to an affiliate. See my disclosure policy for more information.
{ 28 comments… read them below or add one }
I make instant oatmeal all the time! My babies love it.
I have done this before. I used raisins for some and those toddler freeze dried fruits. My husband loved it. He takes his breakfast to work with him most days.
Perfect timing for this post! I am getting ready to send my oldest off to college and we are trying to figure out easy dorm foods! This will be perfect!!
This is perfect timing for me too! I was just looking at the store ones yesterday because we need to take some for our backpacking trip but all of the weird ingredients scared me off from buying it! I had wondered if I could make my own. I think I could have fun with this! Thanks Merissa!
This sounds like an interesting idea. How would you go about getting different flavors such as peach, strawberry, blueberry, banana, etc…?
By adding dried fruits, you can either dry them yourself or buy them from the store.
We just keep ours in a rubbermaid type container with a 1/3 C measuring cup in it. Children can fix their own, and no baggie waste. I used a label maker to put the instructions right on the container.
Did you order your oats online somewhere? I’d like to find a deal like that.
I ordered my oats from my co-op Azure Standard. Their website is http://www.azurestandard.com
Oh Thanks anyway. We are stationed overseas right now so I cant do the Azure right now. I was hoping it was somewhere that did shipping
. I do have their link in my faves though for when we move back next year.
You could try searching on Amazon, I’m sure they carry something good too!
This is such a great idea! I get the organic oats from Azure too and eat them at home YET I’d buy the all natural oatmeal packets for my office. DOH. I don’t add milk or sugar but I do add golden raisins which I’ll just throw into the premeasured oats into each bag. Thanks!
Yeah, and we all know what those “natural flavors” are made of, don’t we? *twitch*
Oh wow! I wish I’d known about this recipe when the kids were at home!
This is such a great idea…now that they are grown, I could still make some up and put them in a basket with some vintage bowls and spoons and make a gift set out of it!
Oh man! My son would love this…he used to live off instant oatmeal. Well, he lived off quick oats too and learned to add his own stuff. So I KNOW HE’D LIKE IT~
I’m pinning it to my recipe board! Thanks, Pat
Does anyone know where I can pick up powdered milk without it costing me an arm and a leg? Every place that I have went around here the powdered milk is sky high.
Did you know…… you do not need “instant” oatmeal to do this? I do not make packets because what do you do with the baggy when you are done?
I buy thick cut old-fashioned oats (25lb organic from bob’s red something from a cash and carry)
and use a plastic bowl like container with a lid (it has been a long time since I’ve hiked far enough to need breakfast). Usually I just measure out what I need at home…..one part oats to two parts water and micro-wave for one minute. If I have to take it somewhere (like school) I put my “stuff” into a smaller reusable plastic container. Raisins, ground psylliam and flax seed, walnuts, fruit (I am not a fan of sweet oatmeal, raisins seem sweet enough). I had not thought of using powder milk…..good idea!
In season I bring apples, apricots, berries or whatever to add fresh. (nice post!)
I have milk allergies in my kiddos. Is it ok to just omit the powdered milk and have them use milk to make it with instead of water? Thanks for the help.
Should work fine!
Walmart now has freeze dried strawberries that would be awesome in this recipe!
Ok, Help..I made them sans milk powder (don’t want to use that), kids not impressed..I refuse to buy boxed anymore..Any Suggestions..
I’m curious about the powdered whey. Is this the why I get at the nutrition store or is it different? where would I find powdered whey that you use for this recipe?
Thank you. I love this idea
Catherine
I get it from my local co-op. I don’t think it’s the same as you would get in a nutrition store but I’m not sure. At my co-op it’s just a cheaper version of powdered milk!
Ok..I have a challenge for you…Mac N Cheese..
I want to make small packages for meal size portions….doing the noodles is easy and fun…but how do I make the dry cheese packets…? Any ideas? Please respond to 365daysonafarm@gmail.com
Thanks..love your blog…..and I love trying your recipes!
I love making maple and brown sugar. We keep a big canister on hand and it’s soooo much cheaper!
My kids don’t care for the mixes.. I just take 1/4 cup oats (regular or quick) and 1/2 cup water. I nuke this for 45 seconds, stir, nuke for 30 seconds and let it sit a couple minutes. I stir in 1/2 tsp. white sugar then top with 1 tsp. brown sugar. And the milk on top (depending on allergies, the one tat kid can have).
That’s is for the girls. The boys prefer 1/2 cup oats and 1 cup water.. Some times I use a tbs less water so it is thicker.
HI Marissa. I love your site and have been having a great time trying all the homemade recipes. I recently started blogging to share updates with family that lives a few hours away. Is there a way I can share your recipes or other posts through my blog? I am new to this and don’t to be stealing or anything. Thanks!
You are welcome to post a link to a recipe, just don’t take pictures or copy the post please
Good luck with blogging!
I’ve been following you for a long time, but I don’t think I’ve ever commented here! I saw this and did a little squeal! I have 5 children, ages 6 months to 12.5 years old and are we busy! We are home every morning, but Tuesdays are our homeschool co-op mornings and we end up buying bagels and/or english muffins (whole wheat) for a fast breakfast to get us out of the door. I can’t stand to buy cereal — I simply freeze when I get close to the check-out counter with those boxes! This is a great alternative! We have been making baked oat for a long time, but it’s not so conducive to speed or travel, even. Here is what I am thinking: make these in pint jars, add the hot water from teh stove (no microwave ehre) and then they can even take them in hand out the door! Now…..just to get them BACK in the house to wash…..