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National Oatmeal Day

Food · October 29

A day for oatmeal, the warm bowl of cooked oats that people dress up with fruit, nuts, spices or something savory.

National Oatmeal Day falls on Thursday, October 29, 2026. That is 2 days away.

Oatmeal is oats cooked in water or milk until they soften into a thick, warm porridge. It is one of the plainest breakfasts there is, and also one of the easiest to change, since it takes on whatever you stir into it.

The oats come in a few forms. Rolled oats are steamed and flattened, so they cook fairly quickly and keep some shape. Steel cut oats are the whole grain chopped into pieces, which gives a chewier, nuttier bowl that takes longer on the stove. Instant oats are cut thinner still and soften in a minute or two.

Most people know oatmeal sweet, with brown sugar, cinnamon, raisins, sliced banana or a spoon of peanut butter. It also works savory. A bowl topped with a fried egg, a little cheese and some scallions tastes closer to a risotto than a breakfast cereal, and the oats don't seem to mind.

Overnight oats skip the stove entirely. Rolled oats soak in milk or yogurt in the refrigerator and are ready by morning, eaten cold or warmed up. Baked oatmeal goes the other direction, setting in the oven into something you can cut into squares.

A pinch of salt in the cooking water makes even a sweet bowl taste fuller.

Ways to celebrate

• Try a savory bowl of oatmeal with an egg and cheese on top.
• Make overnight oats in a jar before bed.
• Cook steel cut oats if you usually reach for instant.
• Share your favorite oatmeal topping with a friend or coworker.
• Bake a pan of oatmeal with fruit for the week.

Dates

All national days on October 29

Also on October 29

• National Cat Day
• National Hermit Day
• National Internet Day

Categories: Food days