12 Surprising Uses for Leftover Oatmeal

More Than Just Food

You may think of oatmeal as on the bland side of the food aisle, as something that your doctor told you to eat but that you\'re not thrilled about. Or maybe it\'s something you take only with a lot of cream and sugar. But even if you already love oatmeal, you might not know that you can use it to save money and get crafty, as well as get healthier. Don\'t throw out any excess!

The healthiest type of oatmeal is made from whole-grain, steel-cut oats, also known as coarse-cut or Irish oats, because they retain more of the nutritious (though tough) bran layer. The more common \"rolled oats\" are steamed, flattened and lightly toasted. \"Instant\" oatmeal is pre-cooked and usually has sweeteners and flavors added. Nutritionists say you\'re better off buying unsweetened, and adding a touch of honey, maple syrup, agave or other flavoring yourself.

Oats are an excellent source of fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, thiamine, iron, beta-glucan (which may help regulate blood sugar) and the antioxidants known as avenanthramides (which may help promote healthy circulation). Oatmeal is also believed to help reduce harmful cholesterol levels and it may boost the immune system.

But what happens when you have too much of a good thing, or you just don\'t get around to eating it and your oatmeal gets old and stale in your cupboard? Don\'t throw it out! It has many great uses besides filling up your family (in some cases you really can put food on your family):

Treat Acne

Many people swear by oatmeal as a natural remedy to acne. One easy recipe is to cook up some of the stuff, let cool until lukewarm, then apply to the affected areas. Let stand for several minutes, then rinse.

Some people prefer to use oatmeal-based scrubs (see slide 7). Others bathe with \"colloidal oatmeal,\" which is made by mixing oatmeal that has been ground into a very fine powder in water.

Neutralize Odors

Few realize that oatmeal can help absorb odors. Try placing an open container of the stuff in your fridge. Some people use oatmeal to line ashtrays, and claim the flakes help neutralize the smell of smoke.

Soothe Dry or Irritated Skin

People have been using oatmeal to promote healthy, beautiful skin for a long time. It can provide soothing relief from sunburn, poison ivy or other irritations, and is said to heal skin and open pores. In fact, many moisturizers and beauty products on store shelves contain oatmeal for its benefits, sometimes ground up and sometimes in flake form.

Soothe Your Dog\'s Skin

Just like people, dogs often get dry and itchy skin. Luckily, it\'s easy for caring owners to make a home remedy out of oatmeal, an old sock, a washcloth and some aluminum foil. Get the recipe from Small Dogs Paradise.

Pamper Yourself in the Tub

A soothing way to unwind at the end of a long day is to take a bath with oatmeal. Here\'s a simple recipe from AltUse: While running a lukewarm bath, add one cup of milk, two cups of uncooked oatmeal and a tablespoon of honey. Soak for 10 to 20 minutes, and your skin will be moisturized and rejuvenated. How relaxing! Note that some folks like to use colloidal oatmeal for the task.

DIY Body Scrub or Face Mask

Make your own scrub by grinding two tablespoons of oatmeal into a grainy consistency in a blender or food processor. Add one teaspoon baking soda and very small amounts of water until the mixture has the consistency of paste. Spread that on your cleansed and dry face. Leave on for 10 minutes and gently remove with cool water.

It also isn\'t difficult to make your own oatmeal soap. This makes great homemade gifts!

Turn It into Modeling Clay

You can also turn old oatmeal into a nontoxic crafting \"clay\" that delights kids and gets their creative energies flowing. The Playdough-like clay stays moist for hours, but hardens overnight, making it good for sculpting figurines, bowls, beads and other goodies you can think of. Use Disney FamilyFun\'s simple recipe to combine one cup of instant or rolled oats with flour and a little water. You can also add food coloring for a rainbow of possibilities.

More Crafting with Oatmeal

When it comes to arts and crafts, oatmeal has many potential uses that are limited only by your imagination. One parent suggests making an \"oatmeal octopus.\" It\'s easy: pour some oatmeal in a sandwich bag, then add a tablespoon of powdered paint. Have your child shake it up. Then draw out patterns in glue on paper or cardboard (it needn\'t necessarily be of an octopus of course). Sprinkle on the colored oatmeal for a unique project!

Boost Your Workout

Instead of costly, and potentially harmful, energy drinks and performance-enhancing products, eat some oatmeal before you exercise. British researchers found that oatmeal can help increase endurance when eaten about three hours before working out. There\'s also some evidence that oats help the body burn fat more quickly, and some doctors have noted that a diet rich in them may help prevent cancer.

Go Beyond Breakfast Cooking

Oatmeal is well known for imparting a yummy heartiness to breads, cookies and some beers. But it also works great in crusts, for meats as well as cobblers, and is a binding agent.

Here\'s a tip: Replace regular flour with homemade oat flour (simply grind oats in a processor), and use that for baking pancakes and breads. You get twice the fiber, so you feel fuller, but fewer calories, according to Health.com.

Reuse Oatmeal Containers

Now that you have those creative reuse juices flowing, you\'re probably not surprised to hear that used oatmeal canisters also have many great uses. Of course, you may be able to recycle them, depending on your town. But before you do that, you can turn them into organizers for yarn, beads, buttons, batteries, coins, rolls of film, nails, pens, office supplies or any number of other items. In the kitchen you can store other dried goods in them, from rice to noodles, breadcrumbs and more. Decorated, used oatmeal containers make nice holders for homemade baked goods, fresh garden produce or even homemade oatmeal soap.

You can also decorate an oatmeal container and put it in your bathroom to hold toilet paper rolls (they fit perfectly).

Old Oatmeal? Eat It Anyway

It could be either refreshing or disappointing to hear that you will probably be fine if you eat your old oatmeal -- as long as it doesn\'t have any obvious problems of course. Scientists recently tested samples of rolled oats that were 28 years old, and they discovered that they were still perfectly edible, still contained some nutrients, and even tasted okay (test subjects rated them as acceptable but not fantastic).