That's where DIY instant oatmeal packets come in. In less than 10 minutes, you can batch-assemble your breakfast on the cheap and customize it to suit your taste.

Enter instant oatmeal packets. Though oft-maligned, there's no denying their convenience. All you have to do is add hot water, wait a few minutes, and they're ready to eat.

Tip: Make your own instant oatmeal. Estimated savings: $2,511.20 over 20 years. Originally Published: February 2, 2013 at 5:00 AM EST. Share this: Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window ...

If you grew up with bland, boring, goopy oatmeal for breakfast, then you’re probably not clamoring to make it part of your breakfast routine once more. But hear us out: Oatmeal isn’t really ...

Unfortunately, we don't always have time to make our own oatmeal from scratch, and so we reach for a packet of the instant stuff, add some water, wait one minute and 30 seconds, and then pretend ...

It's tempting to buy instant oatmeal for quick and easy breakfasts, but it'll never taste as good as a bowl of rolled oats — which aren't much harder to make. "Instant or quick-cook oats can be ...

Because oatmeal is bland on its own, many sweeten it with large amounts of brown and white sugar. Instant packets are already sweetened, so it’s hard to control how much added sugar is in your ...

Steel-cut oats, quick oats, rolled oats – they’re all nutritionally pretty similar, Nadeau says. The biggest difference is the texture. Steel-cut oats take longer to cook and are chewier.