If the word "oatmeal" conjures up nightmarish images of bland, mushy bowls of grain, you wouldn't be blamed. Many of us have been served an exceptionally underwhelming bowl of oatmeal at least once in our lives, then quickly written it off in favor of tastier breakfast food such as bacon and waffles. But I'm here to air a PSA: you can't afford to overlook oatmeal any longer.

Yes, that's right: oatmeal. Probably the most overlooked breakfast food yet one of the most versatile ingredients, oatmeal doesn't receive the recognition it deserves. And when I say that overlooking it isn't affordable, I mean that both metaphorically (if you've got FOMO, don't even think about skipping this article) and fiscally (I'm here for you, broke college students). Read on to discover a whole new world of oats.

1. It's healthy.

Sure, quinoa has been milking its thirty seconds of fame. But I see you, quinoa, and I raise you the time-tested humble oat: one of the most nutrient-dense foods you can possibly eat. Oatmeal is high in fiber, protein, antioxidants, zinc, manganese, and phosphorous. Need I go on? Because I can. Oats are also incredibly filling (say goodbye to your stomach grumbling in hunger only an hour after breakfast) and reduce your risk of heart disease by lowering your amounts of LDL cholesterol.

2. It's affordable.

Sadly, highly-processed food is often a whole lot cheaper than fresh, whole foods. However good your intentions to eat a balanced diet may be, they'll never be realized as long as fast-food joints have dollar menus and salmon costs like, well, salmon. Luckily, oatmeal is incredibly affordable for one of the healthiest foods out there. You can get eighteen packs of flavored oatmeal for only $2.12. That's half a month of breakfasts at 12 cents each—compare that to the $4 for your daily mocha. Yeah, the tides are turning.

3. It's easy to make.

Honestly, who has time to cook a gourmet breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day of their lives? For many people, breakfast is rarely more than a yogurt snagged on the way out the door. After all, the last thing that sounds appealing at 7 AM is dragging yourself out of bed only to spend the next hour making breakfast. Whether you're pressed for time, a bad cook, or just plain lazy, oatmeal is the answer to your problems. The steel-cut variety may take a bit longer to prepare, but normal rolled oats can be microwaved, boiled, and even baked within a matter of minutes. Still sound like too much work? Enter instant oats, which take only a minute and a half in the microwave. For the genuinely sloth-like (or the morning commuters), there's overnight oats, which don't require any cooking at all. Just pop them in the fridge overnight and grab them in the morning. Now you really have no excuse for not eating a nutritionally balanced and delicious breakfast.

4. It's never NOT applicable.

Speaking of breakfast, don't you dare put oatmeal in a box. Not only is it the perfect morning meal, it's also perfect for lunch, dinner, dessert, snack, and Taco Bell's fourth meal. So basically, it's always the right time for oatmeal. If you've only ever had oatmeal in the a.m., it's time to seriously expand your repertoire. Try this recipe for a savory oatmeal dinner full of proteins, fats, dairy, and spices: a perfect balanced meal that only takes ten minutes to prepare. You can also have oatmeal for dessert if you're craving something that will deliver on sweetness but won't make your stomach hurt from sugar.

5. It's versatile.

The possibilities for oatmeal are truly endless. It's basically a blank canvas, awaiting you, the artist, to adorn it with whatever additions you see fit. There are countless ways to transform this simple base into a beautiful masterpiece. Will you add turmeric and banana? Avocado and tomatoes? Flowers and chocolate bars? Go crazy, man. Oatmeal is the perfect compliment to literally any other food.

6. It's aesthetic AF.

Let's not pretend that in this era of Instagramming, how pretty the food looks isn't important. While your friends may be snapping pictures of expensive brunches they waited way too long to order and paid too much for, you can one-up their #foodporn pictures in the comfort of your own home. Unlike overly-complicated pastries you basically need to be a master chef to execute, you can create aesthetic oatmeal simply with some carefully-arranged toppings. These oats are sure to spark your creativity—here's to never eating ugly food again!

7. It matches your moods

Sweet, savory, or salty, oatmeal is there to affirm your emotional needs. What I'm trying to say is that oatmeal is your new best friend, there to commiserate when you need comfort food and stick by your side when you attempt to eat healthier. Oatmeal will never abandon you, and if you prepare it right, it'll never fail you, either.

So whether you've been in a breakfast-food slump, a meal-prepping craze, or are simply on the lookout for your next favorite pantry staple, turn towards oatmeal—oat's about time.