Ina Garten’s Eaten the Same Thing for Breakfast Every Day for Years (2024)
When Good Charlotte sang about the lifestyles of the rich and famous, I don't think they were talking about breakfast. And yet, when it comes to celebrities and celebrity chefs, the first thing I want to know is how they're starting off their day. From Michelle Obama's PB & J to Al Roker's "homemade McGriddle", I love to hear what people are sitting down to for the most important meal of the day.
Many people find themselves eating the same thing day in and day out. I did not expect Ina Garten, noted TV host and cookbook author, to be one of them. I would have thought she was cooking elaborate, decadent breakfasts for herself and husband Jeffrey, like those in her cookbooks. But it turns out, even Garten is a creature of habit and has been eating the same, super simple breakfast for decades. What's even more shocking? She makes it in the microwave. Here's why Ina turns to oatmeal for breakfast every morning.
Not just any old oatmeal will do when it comes to the Barefoot Contessa. "I've had the same thing for breakfast every single day for ten years: coffee and McCann’s quick-cooking Irish oatmeal," Garten told Bon Appétit in a 2017 article. And her love of the stuff is well-documented. One quick search on the internet will reveal article after article mentioning Garten's infatuation with oatmeal.
For those unfamiliar with McCann's, it's just one brand of quick-cooking oats. Quick-cooking oats fall somewhere between old-fashioned oats and instant oatmeal; The oats are steamed, then rolled so that they cook faster than old-fashioned oats, in just a few minutes. And that's just what Garten does—in the microwave, no less.
"I make my oatmeal in my microwave—it's so easy! I put 1/3 cup quick-cooking oats (I like McCann's) in a bowl, add 1 cup of water, then microwave it on high for 4 minutes," Garten wrote in a Q&A on her website.
Sometimes she'll swap milk for water, but one ingredient stays the same: salt.
"Most people don’t do their oatmeal with salt, and I think that without it, it just tastes like wallpaper paste.Withsalt, I think it’s delicious," Ina added. As we know, salt can do wonders to actually highlight sweeter dishes, but even without adding sweet toppings it just makes oatmeal taste, well, more oat-y.
From there, Garten tops the oatmeal "with a little bit of butter, and a drizzle of maple syrup," although you could take this basic recipe sweet or savory (hello Cacio-Oat Pepe!). On the weekends, Garten makes a more elaborate version on the stovetop with fresh and dried fruit. If you decide to add dried fruit, take a (genius) tip from Garten and put the lid on your pot for a minute or two after adding the fruit. The steam in the pot will soften the fruit to the perfect, chewy-but-not-too-chewy consistency.
Ina calls this dish not only her favorite breakfast, but one of her favorite comfort foods in general. And it makes sense. When you spend day after day—nay, year after year—testing hundreds of recipes, it's nice to have a neutral start to the day, a sort of landing ground for your palate. And, if you're to believe my 99-year-old grandma, starting your day with the same breakfast may also just be the secret to longevity, too.
Ina Garten's go-to for her daily starter is McCann's Quick Cooking Rolled Irish Oats. The oats are steamed, rolled, and then cut thin and flat, which allows for their quick cooking time — the brand suggests that three minutes in the microwave is all that's needed.
Many people happily eat the same foods for breakfast day after day, yet seek more variety in the foods they eat for lunch and dinner. We identify psychological goals as a driver of this diurnal pattern of variety seeking, complementing other biological and cultural drivers.
And that's just what Garten does—in the microwave, no less. "I make my oatmeal in my microwave—it's so easy! I put 1/3 cup quick-cooking oats (I like McCann's) in a bowl, add 1 cup of water, then microwave it on high for 4 minutes," Garten wrote in a Q&A on her website.
Oprah's first meal of the day will vary. She enjoys smoothies with berries, fruits, and nuts that she blends with orange juice and yogurt. For a sweet fix, she will have a chocolate-strawberry smoothie or swap out the chocolate for an orange.
According to Sedlacek, repeating just one meal or snack a day likely won't cause an issue as long as you change up your other meals. But when you eat the same two or three meals every day, you risk becoming deficient in vitamins, minerals or other key nutrients.
A healthy breakfast may reduce the risk of illness
Compared with people who don't have breakfast, those who regularly eat breakfast tend to have a lower risk of both obesity and type 2 diabetes. There is also some evidence that people who don't have breakfast may be at a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.
In response to a question posted on her website, Garten once said that she often uses Cabot Creamery butter to cook with, before adding that “there are many good brands of butters available.”
If you are making oats for weight gain then you must add oats with full cream milk or creamy yogurt. Just providing yourself 50 grams of oats with 300 ml of whole milk including nuts and dried fruits, will help in adding extra calories by many health benefits.
For a boost of calcium and creamy flavor, make oatmeal with low-fat milk or plant-based milk instead of water. Or try making it with apple cider instead for a boost of flavor. The ratio of liquid to oats stays the same, so you can easily make this switch.
Yes, it is good to eat oatmeal every day considering its nutritional profile and health benefits, including weight control and heart-healthy effect. As a breakfast food and mid-meal snack, oatmeal is potentially a better option than the majority of foods available in the market.
Overnight oats are perfectly safe to be eaten every day. You may even eat them every morning if you like. However, some say that they feel oats give them digestive issues; overnight oats are not unsafe for those without medical conditions that affect digestion.
“Whole grains are beneficial and healthy foods, and I can say that oatmeal is definitely beneficial,” Qi Sun, assistant professor of nutrition, said in the same article. As long as it's sugar-free, “eating oatmeal for breakfast is a good choice.”
Fish head stew is a no. As for herbs, she absolutely despises cilantro, and you won't find much of it used in her recipes. Beverages that she's not okay with are pumpkin spice lattes, because they don't taste enough like coffee, and kombucha, because she's not a huge fan of fermented fare.
The one meal Ina simply couldn't live without is roast chicken. She even cites it as one of the reasons her husband, Jeffrey, proposed marriage in 1968.
Breakfast is often called 'the most important meal of the day', and for good reason. As the name suggests, breakfast breaks the overnight fasting period. It replenishes your supply of glucose to boost your energy levels and alertness, while also providing other essential nutrients required for good health.
It's called beurre de baratte with flaked sea salt, and it's just so delicious.” If you want to start your day the way Ina Garten starts hers — and who doesn't? — this magical butter is produced in Normandy by acclaimed French cheese-and-butter maker Rodolphe Le Meunier.
Introduction: My name is Barbera Armstrong, I am a lovely, delightful, cooperative, funny, enchanting, vivacious, tender person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/AR-Ina-Garten-getty-4x3-2-53685eace4204338b9ef531e70fa8e6a.jpg "Ina Garten’s Eaten the Same Thing for Breakfast Every Day for Years (1)")
