Pasta,” the Ally of People Living Alone
Pasta is a strong ally of poor people living alone who can enjoy a satisfying meal while keeping food costs down.
But pasta is only about 5 bundles in a bag, so I had to go to the supermarket once a week to buy more.
Boiling pasta is a hassle.
Isn’t pasta just dumping noodles into a liter or so of hot water?
Some people may think, “What’s the point?” but there is no wide pot to put the noodles in to begin with.
There are containers available that can be easily cooked in a microwave oven, but I didn’t want to make even a small kitchen even smaller for pasta.
Then a friend told me about rice-ification of oatmeal.
By simply adding 50 ml of water to 30 g of oatmeal and microwaving it for 1 minute, you can have a staple food with high nutritional value like brown rice.
Honestly, it is so convenient that I have been eating oatmeal for lunch ever since I discovered oatmeal.
If you don’t care how it looks or tastes, I recommend eating oatmeal as rice.
If you want to make your life easier but don’t want to spend a lot of money, try oatmeal.
Oatmeal lunch, short on time!
When I was eating pasta, it took about 7 minutes to boil and 5 minutes to boil, for a total of just over 10 minutes.
After switching to oatmeal, measure 30 g and pour 50 ml water over it. heat for 1 minute.
It takes 2 minutes at most.
Easy to clean up
One of the most troublesome tasks in cooking for oneself is washing dishes.
Since I live alone in a small kitchen, I can’t put a dishwasher in there. So I have to wash dishes by hand, which is very troublesome.
With oatmeal rice conversion, all you need to wash are chopsticks/spoons and a plate.
The ease of cleanup is also appreciated by those living alone.
Is oatmeal high in calories?
It has more calories per gram than white rice and is fattening if eaten in excess.
Although calories and carbohydrates are higher than white rice, the amount of calories consumed is lower as a result because less is eaten at one time.
It also has a lower GI value, so it is said to be less likely to accumulate fat. (I don’t know the detailed mechanism)
Is it nutritious?
One of the unique characteristics of oatmeal is its high fiber content.
The same amount is said to be three times as much as brown rice and 19 times as much as white rice. Fiber is said to have a beneficial effect on intestinal regulation and suppression of blood sugar elevation, but I personally don’t care for it.
It is rich in protein and contains more vitamins and minerals, making it a healthier meal than pasta or white rice.
Can oatmeal help you lose weight?
I myself did not start eating oatmeal to lose weight, but as a result, I lost about 1 kg in one month.
I felt good, so I don’t think it was a bad way to lose weight.
But I suddenly lost weight and got scared, so I ate a lot of the weight I lost and put it back on.
Is oatmeal good?
Frankly, it does not taste good on its own.
In my case, I eat it seasoned with cheese, black pepper, chili pepper, natto sauce, etc.
I didn’t start out looking for good taste, so it’s not a problem, but some people may find it bad.
I eat oatmeal only as a quick and nutritious staple, so this was a great recipe for me as a hassle-free person.
Reasons for not choosing home-delivered meals
If you don’t want the hassle, why don’t you just order your food from Frozen Home Meals or Uber EATS!
Some of you may be thinking, “Why not?
My primary goal is to shorten the time because of the hassle, but I also want to keep food costs low, so I did not choose the home-delivery bento type.
Some companies advertise low prices on their official websites, such as “400 yen and up,” but that is only the lowest price for a single bulk order.
However, this is the lowest price for a single bulk order, and many items cost more than 700 yen if ordered in small quantities.
The same goes for Uber EATS, DiDi FOOD, etc. I can’t afford to pay a premium for cold food.
With oatmeal, you can fit in about $30 per serving. (For products sold on Amazon)
You can buy the same product at half price at iHerb. (even with combined shipping costs, it’s cheaper)
How much time did you save with the oatmeal?
Let’s say you ate pasta for lunch every day.
You spent 5 minutes boiling water plus 5 minutes boiling the pasta, which is at least 10 minutes.
With oatmeal, it takes only 1 minute to measure + 1 minute to microwave, which is estimated to be 2.3 minutes at most.
If you cook oatmeal every day for more than 7 minutes, or 140 minutes per month if you cook every weekday, you have saved more than 2 hours.
In addition, I would have 150 minutes more time each month because I would have less time to wash dishes and do the shopping.
Plus, it’s nutritious, healthy, low in calories, and helps you lose weight.
And at only about $30 per serving, it’s a cosmetic bargain!
The taste is not great, but if you want a nutritious lunch at home without hassle, I can seriously recommend oatmeal.
Recommended oatmeal is available at iHerb.
[Bob’s Red Mill, Old Fashioned Rolled Oats, Whole Grain, 907g
The same product is available on Amazon, but the price is almost twice as high, making it less cosmetically pleasing.