Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal: Great for an Upset Stomach

Dealing with an upset stomach? Come enjoy a warm, soothing bowl of apple cinnamon oatmeal. It’s packed with nutrients while still being easy to digest!

So it’s been about a week since I had the stomach flu and guess what?? My stomach is still acting up!

I mean, sure, it’s a LOT better than it was last week. This time last week I didn’t eat anything at all. But all of these lingering problems are hard when I need my stomach for this blog!

The stomach sensitivity I am dealing with also got me thinking: are there foods that I can eat that are easier for my tum to digest and could even help speed up this healing process? And is there something that I can do to help you, the reader, in case you have an angry stomach like I did?

I knew about the BRAT diet, which consists of bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. Since I can’t eat bananas (which really blows), I have been eating more of a RAT diet. It’s a little more pleasant than it sounds. Even still, I had to find out if there were other foods I could eat that would make my stomach less upset at me.

So, like any good child of technology, I took to the internet to see if it could solve my problem. And it delivered.

We have a winner: apple cinnamon oatmeal.

But Gem, I can hear you saying. That is nothing special!

Oh but is it? Is it, my dear reader!? Imma bout to throw some facts in your general direction, so I hope you are ready to catch them!

Oatmeal, on its own, is good for your stomach. Oats, without all the sugar and flavorings in a microwaveable packet, are actually quite bland. And bland, with a bad stomach, is good! Oats are also pretty easy to digest and even have plenty of vitamins and minerals. You will also find some zinc and selenium in your oats, which are great if you are dealing with a flu and need help with your immune system! (source)

Oats also have a lot of fiber, both soluble and insoluble. These are also good for, well, other parts of digestion. Let’s just say, it keeps you regular. (source)

Applesauce is also good for you when you are having stomach troubles. Because it is a part liquid, it is easy to digest and it provides nutrients that are lost when you are sick. (source)

Lastly, I found out that cinnamon is also good for you when you have stomach problems! This surprised me because cinnamon is far from bland. I learned that it actually has been used to help treat morning sickness. Cinnamon is a carminative, which means it helps break up intestinal gas. (source) This is probably not my main concern, but if it goes great with apples and it’s good for my stomach, I am all for it!

So here we are, back with our apple cinnamon oatmeal. We’re not using the instant oatmeal packets or the microwave today! Because I want the apple pieces to cook a bit, I am going to cook the oats on a stove top. But all in all, the little bit of extra time it takes makes a world of difference. You are able to sweeten it as you please and cook it for as long as you please! I like my oatmeal super thick so it comes off in chunks when you pour milk on it.

Mmmm… Anyway. That’s probably just me.

Oh! And as one last note; if you are making this oatmeal gluten-free, make sure that you use oats that are labeled as gluten-free. Oats on their own are gluten-free, but they way they are normally processed is not!

Have you had to deal with the stomach flu this year? What are your upset stomach remedies? Let me know in the comments below!

Cheers! 

Gem