Peanut Butter & Strawberry Oatmeal

Start your day the PB&J way! I’ve been enjoying a bowl of this Peanut Butter & Strawberry Oatmeal for breakfast a few times a week for the last couple of weeks and guys, this might just be my new favorite way to do oats. Seriously.

Since spying the first in-season displays (!!) of organic strawberries with in-season prices (!!) at the markets I frequent, I’ve been dreaming strawberry dreams. Okay, not really. But I have had strawberry recipes on the brain. They’re one of my favorite fruits, if you couldn’t tell, so I’m pretty excited we have months of ripe berries to look forward to!

I don’t need to sell you on peanut butter & jelly. I mean, it’s as classic as it comes.

I’ve always preferred strawberry jam over grape with my peanut butter. Come to think of it, I’m not sure when the last time I had a good old-fashioned PB&J sandwich. It’s been awhile. Guessing it was the last time I road-tripped to Florida or day-tripped to the beach. Clearly, there’s something about spending an extended period of time in car that warrants me packing peanut butter sandwiches. Tasty, convenient, mess-free, and my dog, Max, who is always along for the ride, loves ’em (hold the jelly on his, though).

Anyway, I rarely eat sandwiches these days – they’re just not my thing – but oatmeal is a different story. Whenever I want to start the day with something warm? Oatmeal. When I’m really hungry and a smoothie or green juice just isn’t going to cut it? Oatmeal. You have to love oatmeal for its versatility. What flavor combo can’t you add to transform a bowl of plain oats? The options are endless and, let’s be real, necessary because oatmeal without toppings and add-ins tastes like wallpaper paste.

Not that I know what wallpaper paste tastes like. Just saying.

It doesn’t hurt that strawberries are gorgeous, right? I mean, look at them, sparkling like little juicy rubies! Put strawberries on anything and I’m going to be excited about eating it for the pretty factor alone. Topping blah beige oatmeal with fresh strawberries is no exception.

We all know colorful food makes for beautiful food. As a general nutrition rule, the more varied colors (reds and greens and blues, oh my!) you regularly consume, the better. More colors = more good-for-you nutrients. Simple as that.

Speaking of nutrition, this Peanut Butter & Strawberry Oatmeal really has it all to start your day off on a good note. You’ve got fiber, protein, healthy fat, and a nice dose of Vitamin C all in one bowl. But most importantly, it’s easy, delicious, and packs tons of texture –  juicy berries, creamy peanut butter, crunchy peanuts. It’s sweet. It’s salty. What more could you want?

If you suddenly find yourself craving a bowl of oatmeal no matter what time of day it is, I don’t blame you.