5 Savory Oatmeal Recipes to Make Over Your Breakfast Bowl

Chances are, you’ve been enjoying sweet oatmeal recipes since you were a kid. I have a few favorites of my own, including kiwi coconut oats, ginger-chocolate-pear oats, and maple pumpkin spice. But sweet isn’t the only way to enjoy this healthy, hearty breakfast staple! Savory oatmeal recipes are just as delicious—and a terrific way to add more veggies and antioxidant-rich spices to your diet. Sound tempting? Here are five new recipes to warm up your mornings.

Veggie and Pesto Oats

In a small pan over low heat, sauté a quarter cup of minced yellow onion and a half teaspoon of minced garlic in a quarter cup of low-sodium veggie broth until onion is translucent. Add a handful of spinach and sauté until leaves are wilted. Set aside. Stir a tablespoon of jarred pesto into a half cup of cooked oats prepared with water. Spoon the spinach mixture over the oats and top with a sunny-side up egg.

Mediterranean Oats

In a small pan over low heat, sauté a quarter cup of yellow onions and a teaspoon of minced garlic in a tablespoon of EVOO until onions are translucent. Add a half teaspoon of Italian seasoning, a quarter cup each of diced tomato, sliced mushrooms, chopped zucchini, and bell pepper. Sauté until veggies are tender. Set aside. Stir an eighth teaspoon each of sea salt and black pepper into a half cup of cooked oats prepared with water. Spoon the veggie mixture over the oats and top with a few ounces of smoked wild salmon.

Spicy Moroccan Oats

In a small pan over low heat, sauté a quarter cup of yellow onions in a tablespoon of coconut oil until translucent. Stir in one teaspoon of fresh-squeezed lemon juice, a half teaspoon of minced garlic, and an eighth teaspoon each of sea salt, ground cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, and coriander. Add eight quartered grape tomatoes, a handful of fresh spinach, and a quarter cup of chickpeas, and sauté until spinach is wilted. Top a half cup cooked oats (prepared with water) with the veggie mixture, and garnish with fresh mint.

Ginger Broccoli Almond Oats

In a small pan over low heat, sauté a quarter cup of minced yellow onion and a half teaspoon of minced garlic in a quarter cup of low-sodium veggie broth until onion is translucent. Add a half teaspoon of fresh grated ginger, an eighth teaspoon each of sea salt and crushed red pepper, and a cup of broccoli florets. Sauté until broccoli is slightly tender. Top a half cup cooked oats (prepared with water) with the broccoli mixture, and garnish with a quarter cup of sliced almonds.

Calexico Oats

In a small pan over low heat, sauté a quarter cup of minced yellow onion and a half teaspoon of minced garlic in a quarter cup of low-sodium veggie broth until onion is translucent. Add handful of kale and stir until greens are wilted. Set aside. Stir a tablespoon of chopped fresh cilantro, a teaspoon of fresh lime juice, a half teaspoon of minced jalapeno, and an eighth teaspoon each of black pepper and sea salt into a half cup of cooked oats prepared with water. Spoon the kale mixture over the oats. Top with two tablespoons of pico de gallo, a quarter cup of black beans, and half of a sliced avocado.

Cynthia Sass is Health’s contributing nutrition editor, a New York Times best-selling author, and a consultant for the New York Yankees and Brooklyn Nets.