Budget Helper - Oats!
Forget fancy, expensive cereals. Oats are the healthy and cheap breakfast alternative!
Now that the weather is cooling down it’s time to think about warming, nourishing food. Something we’ve been looking forward to putting back on the family menu is oatmeal.
Easy on the budget
Oats are very budget-friendly. This is because they need to be cooked with milk or water, and they increase in volume, creating a substantial and satisfying breakfast.
A half a cup of dry Uncle Toby’s Rolled Oats (recommended serve 40g) will cost you about 35c. Add 30c for half a cup of milk, which makes a serve of cooked rolled oats around 65c. In contrast, 45g (recommended serve) of Kellog’s Sultana Bran plus half a cup of milk will cost you about $1.05 – that’s 40 per cent more. This might sound like small change but if you’re feeding a family of four in the morning, it represents quite a saving ($2.60 for the oatmeal, against $4.20 for the cereal).
They’re better for you
Nutritionists all agree that oats are a healthy alternative to commercial breakfast cereals. With warnings of the dangers of ultra-processed foods these days, a minimally processed product like oats is a healthier choice.
It’s worth noting that many coeliacs can tolerate oats. In Australia, oats aren’t automatically labelled as gluten-free like the rest of the world, due to labelling laws. This is because oats can be contaminated with wheat, rye or barley through the supply chain. While oats themselves do not contain gluten, they are often grown in fields where wheat, rye or barley have been grown.
Oaty inspiration
If you want to change up your oatmeal routine here are some delicious ideas from Hill Street’s recipe collection, all featuring oats:
