Fugato

Of course, after that solemn promise in my previous entry, I am obligated to blog about what I had for breakfast today.

It was oatmeal porridge. It is always oatmeal porridge, at least when I am at home. Sometimes other stuff too, but always oatmeal porridge. Oatmeal porridge is from heaven, in the same way that Coke, french fries and beer are from the devil. It is dead simple to make (chuck oats in a bowl, Just Add Water™, and salt, and stick it in a microwave for two minutes), tastes fine, and is really, really healthy. It packs protein and soluble fiber. It lowers cholesterol. It delivers blood sugar slowly. It is filling, keeps your appetite moderate. Oatmeal is a sworn enemy of blubbery waists; it has certainly worked well on mine. I love oatmeal. Whoever thought of domesticating oats instead of considering them a weed like everyone else did, should get a medal. We owe you, buddy.

Why did porridge get such a bad rep?

When I was a kid, porridge was the epitome of UFTYMMYE, Unpleasant Food That Your Mother Makes You Eat, except that my mother didn’t ever make me eat it. Maybe in the first few months of my life. I tasted it once at my aunt Helga’s when I was a tiny tot. Helga reportedly liked nothing better as a kid. Helga demanded porridge on Christmas Eve. Helga, like most of my family, does not walk the beaten path. Anyway, I don’t remember liking it then, but I also don’t remember disliking it.

What I do remember is that the conventional wisdom, the prevailing view held by everyone but Helga, was clear and unanimous: porridge was Bad. And so I ate less healthy stuff for breakfast for most of my life so far. How did that happen? What does everybody have against oatmeal porridge? Seriously. Ditch the Cocoa Puffs. And the Coke and beer and french fries, while you’re at it. Especially for breakfast. You’ll thank yourself soon enough.

Thank you, Snæbjörn, for suggesting oatmeal porridge to me. Sometimes we find wisdom where we least expect it. ;-)

This entry was posted on Saturday, July 10th, 2004 at 6:43 pm and is filed under Health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.