Oatmeal, my special friend

Lawrence Toppman

Is oatmeal the perfect food, or what? It sticks to the ribs but not the hips. It's good on hot days and cold. You can eat it with brown sugar or nuts or fruit, with butter or without. It's nutritious but also satisfying on a deeper, comforting level. I've enjoyed it in bowls, in bars, in cookies, sprinkled on top of other cereal. You can now even get it in coffee shops, where I had a bowl for breakfast today.

Trying to lose weight has given me a personal relationship with food. I no longer ask only "Does it taste good" or even "Is it good for me?" I also ask, "Will this food satisfy more than my taste buds and my belly?" Because a lot of the things that delighted one or the other, such as superfat ice cream or mass quantities of potatoes, are off the menu.

Not to get all zen on you, but every meal becomes an experience to be thought about and, ideally, savored. I eat more slowly now, when I have time. I notice flavors more. I think about the things that are slopping off my spoon. (I'm pretty messy.)

The strange thing is, I still tend to bolt down the (smaller) dessert portions I get. Donuts are roller-coaster rides. Oatmeal is a peaceful train trip through attractive country. I'm better off on that train.