30 Days of Oatmeal: Chocolate Carrot (Or How to Hide Vegetables in Oats)

Parenting blogs frequently feature ways to hide fruits and vegetables into kids' food. The Oatmeal Artist adds squash or zucchini to amp up her oats. I like to add applesauce. Here, I decided to add a shredded carrot.

I have to admit that this isn't the best bowl of oats I've yet made. I enjoyed the rich chocolate paired with the texture of the carrots, but the oats somehow lacked a little flavor. Maybe add a little maple syrup if you try this recipe at home. Or, if you're like me and just want to eat extra vegetables, enjoy this as a new recipe for doing so.

Ingredients:

1/2 c quick cooking oats
1 c water
1 T cocoa powder
1 t cinnamon
1 t vanilla
1 carrot, shredded

Directions:

1. Grate one medium carrot.
2. In a small sauce pan, combine the carrots, oats, and water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium low.
3. Once oats reach desired consistency, stir in cocoa powder, cinnamon, and vanilla.
4. Transfer to a bowl. Add toppings. Eat your vegetables!