Ina Garten’s Eaten the Same Thing for Breakfast Every Day for Years

When Good Charlotte sang about the lifestyles of the rich and famous, I don't think they were talking about breakfast. And yet, when it comes to celebrities and celebrity chefs, the first thing I want to know is how they're starting off their day. From Michelle Obama's PB & J to Al Roker's "homemade McGriddle", I love to hear what people are sitting down to for the most important meal of the day.

Many people find themselves eating the same thing day in and day out. I did not expect Ina Garten, noted TV host and cookbook author, to be one of them. I would have thought she was cooking elaborate, decadent breakfasts for herself and husband Jeffrey, like those in her cookbooks. But it turns out, even Garten is a creature of habit and has been eating the same, super simple breakfast for decades. What's even more shocking? She makes it in the microwave. Here's why Ina turns to oatmeal for breakfast every morning.

Ina Garten's Go-To Oatmeal Recipe

Not just any old oatmeal will do when it comes to the Barefoot Contessa. "I've had the same thing for breakfast every single day for ten years: coffee and McCann’s quick-cooking Irish oatmeal," Garten told Bon Appétit in a 2017 article. And her love of the stuff is well-documented. One quick search on the internet will reveal article after article mentioning Garten's infatuation with oatmeal.

For those unfamiliar with McCann's, it's just one brand of quick-cooking oats. Quick-cooking oats fall somewhere between old-fashioned oats and instant oatmeal; The oats are steamed, then rolled so that they cook faster than old-fashioned oats, in just a few minutes. And that's just what Garten does—in the microwave, no less.

"I make my oatmeal in my microwave—it's so easy! I put 1/3 cup quick-cooking oats (I like McCann's) in a bowl, add 1 cup of water, then microwave it on high for 4 minutes," Garten wrote in a Q&A on her website.

Sometimes she'll swap milk for water, but one ingredient stays the same: salt.

"Most people don’t do their oatmeal with salt, and I think that without it, it just tastes like wallpaper paste. With salt, I think it’s delicious," Ina added. As we know, salt can do wonders to actually highlight sweeter dishes, but even without adding sweet toppings it just makes oatmeal taste, well, more oat-y.

From there, Garten tops the oatmeal "with a little bit of butter, and a drizzle of maple syrup," although you could take this basic recipe sweet or savory (hello Cacio-Oat Pepe!). On the weekends, Garten makes a more elaborate version on the stovetop with fresh and dried fruit. If you decide to add dried fruit, take a (genius) tip from Garten and put the lid on your pot for a minute or two after adding the fruit. The steam in the pot will soften the fruit to the perfect, chewy-but-not-too-chewy consistency.

Ina calls this dish not only her favorite breakfast, but one of her favorite comfort foods in general. And it makes sense. When you spend day after day—nay, year after year—testing hundreds of recipes, it's nice to have a neutral start to the day, a sort of landing ground for your palate. And, if you're to believe my 99-year-old grandma, starting your day with the same breakfast may also just be the secret to longevity, too.