An ode to oats
By Teralee Trommeshauser
I’ve called oatmeal a lot of things in my life, but “yummy” wasn’t one of them, until the last year or so. Maybe I’m just slow to jump aboard this train, but as far as I was concerned, things like oatmeal (or at least what I thought was oatmeal) fell into the “thanks but I’d rather go hungry” category.
I’m a texture kind of gal. Growing up I ate cereal sans milk because I couldn’t stand the ensuing sogginess that took place if you didn’t inhale the bowl fast enough. I can remember hiding spoonfuls of mushy cereal at the base of houseplants (apologies to my folks!). Oatmeal, to me, was like letting a bowl of cereal sit overnight in white craft glue, rather than milk. Yum, right? Not really.
So I would sit there, moving the oatmeal around in the bowl, as if somehow I could at least make it appear as though there was less by strategically moving pushing it around. And naturally, while sitting there not eating the oatmeal, it would cool off. You know what’s worse than a bowl full of soggy, glue-like oatmeal? A lukewarm bowl full of soggy, glue-like oatmeal. For me, food’s gotta behot or cold, none of this in between business.
And so later in life, living on my own, learning bits and pieces about nutrition (but not investigating anymore than the average 19 year old would), I decided to give oatmeal another try. And like many other people, made a beeline for the Quaker instant breakfast pre-packaged, convenient, sugar filled, oatmeal. Maple brown sugar flavour, obviously. Come on. It’s the 21st century in the Western World, and those are our two favorite things: convenience, and sugar-filled. Oatmeal is supposed to be good for you, so this must be good for you. Right?
Okay, well I’m much smarter now, I promise, and both my tastes and selectivity with information are much more refined. So here’s what I know now:
Oatmeal is good for you – just not your highly processed, pre-cooked, often sugar, artificial flavour, and preservative, filled kinds. We want to be eating food, not food-like things. Here’s just a few quick (not instant!) nutrition facts about oats/oatmeal:
- It’s an excellent source of both soluble and insoluble fiber
I could write an entire post on fiber, and maybe I’ll just do that in the future, but we’ll stick to the oatmeal info for now. The high amount of quality fiber in oatmeal comes bountiful with health benefits. Anti-cancer, LDL cholesterol reducing, heart disease prevention, helps slow the sharp rise in blood sugar levels following a meal (good for diabetics), and of course, helps keep you regular!
- High in a wide range of vitamins and minerals
Just to name the big ones, oatmeal is high is Vitamin E, Selenium, Zinc, Copper, Iron, Manganese, Magnesium, Thiamin (B1), and also has a higher concentration of well-balanced protein than other cereals.
- Oatmeal is an excellent source of energy!
All your carbo-scaredy cats relax. True-blue, wholesome oats are good carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates are your friend, they just need a little understanding. They’re complex! Ok, I’ll stop with the bad puns. Your body breaks down complex carbohydrates at a slower rate, over a longer period of time, so it doesn’t spike your blood-sugar levels the way simple, refined (instant) carbohydrates do. The energy is slow-released, and lasts much longer! Sounds like a good way to start the day, doesn’t it?
- – Aids in weight loss
The high amount of soluble fiber in oatmeal ends up slowing down the rate at which the stomach empties – leaving you feeling fuller for longer!
Did I also mention that buying bulk oats is way cheaper than buying boxes of packaged, instant, oatmeal? And as far as “instant” goes – real oats don’t actually take that much more time to cook.
So first things first, go out and buy yourself a bag of pure, unadulterated, oat goodness. I like to fill up in the bulk section at the health food store. But now the big decision: Rolled Oats, or Steel Cut Oats?
Who has time to make these kinds of decisions? Just grab both and be done with it. In the end it just comes down to preference, and how much time you have. Steel cut oats just take a bit more time to cook, and have a bit more texture to them. Both are great, and provide the same nutritional benefits.
(Side Note: “Quick” Oats, rather than instant, are usually oats that have been rolled thinner than regular rolled oats, thus taking less time to cook. Just make sure you investigate, read labels, etc etc.)
Oatmeal is another one of those crazy versatile dishes that you can make as boring or as exciting as you like. Here’s one of my favorite ways to make the stuff – no hiding in plant pots required!
1 cup oats, or any combination of freshly ground grains* (buckwheat, quinoa, millet, barley, etc)
3 cups water (more, or less, depending on how thick you like it – I prefer it less thick)
1 cinnamon stick
1″ slice of ginger, diced
1/4 cup dried fruit (chopped dates, cranberries, raisins, apple – whatever you want)
Pinch of sea salt
Optional Toppings:
Ground golden flax seed
Homemade, or bought, nut milk
Fresh fruit: sliced strawberries, bananas, and things like raspberries and blueberries are excellent
Chopped nuts and seeds
Stevia or pure maple syrup to sweeten
* You can use a coffee grinder, or highspeed blender, to grind your grains!
In a medium pot, bring water, dried fruit, cinnamon stick, ginger, and salt to boil. Slowly pour your grains in, stirring constantly until combined. Lower heat, and simmer for approximately 10 minutes (depending on the type of grain, and how finely ground if using grains other than the oatmeal). Remove from heat, discard cinnamon stick. Portion into your bowl, and add your toppings of choice! Enjoy.
A couple other ways to incorporate oatmeal into your diet? Try grinding it up in your blender or coffee maker to make oat flour – excellent for gluten free baking! One form of oats that we didn’t discuss above is oat groats. Not as commonly seen, but probably the most nutritious form of oats, oat groats are the most natural form of oats – before any processing occurs. What do I do with these? Well, nothing much – just soak, sprout and create the world’s greatest raw-food granola! But that, my friends, is for another day! If you’re interested in instructions on how to sprout your own oat groats, send me an email!
Teralee Trommeshauser is a BCRPA certified fitness trainer, and owner of West-Kootenay based business, Natural Edge Health & Fitness Coaching. This article originally appeared on her blog. Reprinted with
