Mrs J never intended to write a series on unloved foods. But come on people. Oatmeal.

You need to really try it. If, without trying to use it today, you’re sure you don’t like it, Mrs J might suggest that someone hasn’t been cooking it right. (That someone may or may not be you. We’ll just leave that one open, yes?)

Let’s also agree to leave the nutritional value of oatmeal aside. That’s just fringe benefit. Eat it (or don’t) because it tastes and feels good. Seriously, there’s a lot of joy to be had in oatmeal.

Mrs J experiments with oatmeal in baking. Breads, muffins, cookies really get a nice nutty crunch from those oats.

And seriously, a bowl of hot oatmeal in the morning is just the thing to get you going. Human rocket fuel.

Add a banana, some pear, raspberries – or nuts if you’re looking to reinforce that nutty flavour.

With oatmeal (and a bit of hydrazine), humans put a man on the moon and returned him safely to the earth. So ask not what oatmeal can do for you …. ok, shutting up.

Try some soon though. Really.