DR. WALLACE: My mom is always trying to make us kids eat healthier, and she likes to save some money, too. Her latest kick for this new school year is to make us oatmeal every morning. And by every morning, I mean every single solitary morning! Help!

For the first few days it was OK, but now it's super boring, and I don't look forward to breakfast anymore.

Is oatmeal really that good for me that I have to eat this bland and boring stuff every day? — Unhappy With My Breakfast, via email

UNHAPPY WITH MY BREAKFAST: Well, if you have to eat oatmeal for breakfast regularly, then I suggest you spice it up and try to eat it in different forms. We all know the standard way of eating it just plain or even with a bit of honey or brown sugar. But do you realize it can be made into a savory dish with some mushrooms, cheese or grilled onions and chives added in? Ask your mother to see what other forms she might be willing to make for you. I feel that anything that can go into an omelet can usually go fairly well with oatmeal, too.

Another idea is to add some fruit. Blueberries, bananas, strawberries, raspberries and blackberries tending to blend with oatmeal particularly well. Don't forget proteins, so ask Mom about that, too. Even nuts such as walnuts, almonds or cashews and even peanut butter can spice up the taste of oatmeal. Seeds like pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds are also good, and dried raisins or cranberries also fit in very well with oatmeal. Cinnamon sprinkled on top is also an excellent taste upgrade for most people when it comes to oatmeal.

And to answer your last question: Yes, oatmeal really is that good for you. Your mother is on the right track when it comes to nutrition, but I would suggest a bit more variety overall.

MY FAMILY IS TRYING TO SAVE MONEY

DR. WALLACE: I am one of three teenagers that live in our family household. Our parents recently sat us down and had a talk with us about conserving energy and trying to save money on utility bills and anything else that we can think of, especially over the next six months to a year.

They mentioned inflation has caused a lot of products and services to go much higher than they used to be, so being prudent and saving money and reducing usage is more important now than ever, according to my parents.

I think we know most of the basic things to do, like turning off our lights when we are not in certain rooms and unplugging appliances that are not currently in use.

Do you have any other suggestions that may be helpful for us? As a family, we're pretty good at conserving our resources and we even recycle as many products as we can. — Want To Help My Family Out, via email

WANT TO HELP MY FAMILY OUT: Why not look into your family's water usage? Many western states are facing water shortages during what is currently considered a drought.

Your letter did not mention what state you live in, but in any state it is important to conserve valuable resources, and water certainly fits prominently into this category. Most individuals use 80 to 100 gallons of water a day, or even more in some cases!

One way to consider saving money on water is to have your home thoroughly inspected for water leaks at every possible pressure point. This includes not only showers and faucets but even the water lines coming into the home. Some families have the wherewithal to do this type of checkup on their own, while others may consider having a reasonably priced local handyman take a quick check, which should take only a half-hour or less time to ascertain. Even finding and fixing one small leak will pay for itself pretty quickly by reducing overall water usage.

Other ideas regarding water include replacing broken sprinklers and planting drought-planting trees and bushes that do well with limited water needed. You can help save your family money by offering to sweep off your driveways and sidewalks with a functional broom, rather than using a garden hose and water to do so.

Taking shorter showers and not allowing faucets to run continuously when brushing your teeth or shaving can also save water.

Finally, encourage your family to only use washing machines when there is a full load to do so and hand-wash dishes whenever possible. If you must use a dishwasher, be sure it is fully loaded to get the maximum output possible along with the minimum number of cycles needed, as this will save electricity and water, both of which are growing increasingly expensive these days.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at [email protected]. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

Photo credit: iha31 at Pixabay