My top ways to eat oatmeal
I was asked to write about this by one of my personal training clients. She wanted to know how she could make oatmeal mainly for her breakfast. So I decided I would write about it here and share some of my top recipes with a larger audience.
Oatmeal in my opinion is one of the most versatile food items you can have in your pantry. There are several types of oats to choose from, some of those types are rolled oats, instant oats, quick oats and steel cut oats. With all these types it might be difficult to chose the perfect type for you. From a nutritional point of view I recommend eating steel cut oats or rolled old fashioned oats.
Steel cut oats also refereed to as Irish oatmeal and is the type that is most closely related to the original oat groat. If you like your oatmeal a bit chewy and nutty in flavor then steel cut oats are your best bet. They have a coarser texture than other forms of oats, they also take a longer time to cook.
I tend to eat a lot of rolled oats just because they are easier to get and take less time to prepare. I can get 5kgs of Quaker rolled oats at Costco at a very reasonable cost. Let's not forget I live in Japan and surprisingly oats a ridiculously expensive and hard to find and I live in the largest city in the Tohoku area.
So what are rolled oats and why are they good? Rolled oats are basically oat groats that have gone through a steaming and flattening process. They have a milder flavor when compared to steel cut oats. They also take less time to prepare. Steel cut oats can take as much as 20-30 mins to prepare while rolled oats can take 2-5 mins depending on how you cook it. They can also be eaten raw. Rolled oats are also a popular addition to cookies and bread as it bumps up the fiber content of the of whatever you put it in.
The other types of oats are quick or instant oats. I won't go into much detail in explaining those two because I don't recommend eating them to my clients or my friends. Basically these types of oats are oats that have gone through further processing to decrease cooking time. They are partially cooked and only take a few minutes to prepare. Quick oats and instant oats differ in the fact that instant oats tend to have other additives like skim milk powder, sugar and flavoring. Those are just added calories that your diet could do without.
Health Benefits
Oats are a rich source of fiber and they also provide us with added protein, minerals, antioxidants and vitamins. They are also gluten free. So if you're on a gluten free diet then oats are a good addition for you.
Just a half cup (40 grams) of dry, rolled oats contains :
- Calories: 154
- Protein: 6 grams
- Fat: 3 grams
- Carbs: 28 grams
- Fiber: 4 grams
- Thiamin (B1): 13% of the RDI
- Iron: 10% of the RDI
- Magnesium: 14% of the RDI
- Phosphorus: 17% of the RDI
- Zinc: 10% of the RDI
- Copper: 8% of the RDI
- Manganese: 74% of the RDI
- Selenium: 17% of the RDI
Oats also contain additional compounds like antioxidants and beta-glucan, a type of soluble fiber linked to health benefits. So if you're having a bit of trouble going to the bathroom regularly then maybe adding oats to your diet might help.
So how can you enjoy oats, below are just a few ways I add oats into my diet.
Smoothies
You can add oats to any of your fruit or vegetable smoothies to up the fiber content of your drink. Don't go overboard though as too much of anything can spoil the balance and consistency of your drink.
Overnight oats
Overnight oats are oats that have been soaked in a liquid of your choice for a couple hours.I usually put one to two cups of oats in a container with a about 2 cups of milk or almond milk. You can add any fruits or nuts you normally eat for breakfast to the mix. When you leave the oats in a liquid for an extended period of time the oats act as a sponge and soaks up all the liquid. They transform into a porridge like mix. Try different flavors for your overnight oats. I like adding cinnamon and vanilla to my oats.
Also don't let the name trick you, it doesn't have to be overnight, there is no special magic that happens at night time. It's just that people tend to eat oats in the mornings as it helps them to stay fuller for longer throughout the day. So if you know you'll be busy in the morning, prep some over night oats the night before. Try this quick and easy recipe below.
Overnight Oats
Ingredients
Directions
Slice the banana into thin slices then add everything together into a sealable container. Add cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg powder to taste. Shake or mix the contents together. Then store it in the refrigerator for a couple hours.
Also don't let the name trick you, it doesn't have to be overnight, there is no special magic that happens at night time. It's just that people tend to eat oats in the mornings as it helps them to stay fuller for longer throughout the day. So if you know you'll be busy in the morning, prep some over night oats the night before. Try this quick and easy recipe below.
Overnight Oats
Ingredients
- One banana
- chopped or whole alomonds
- two scoops of a protien powder of your choice
- two cups almond milk
- one cup rolled oats
Directions
Slice the banana into thin slices then add everything together into a sealable container. Add cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg powder to taste. Shake or mix the contents together. Then store it in the refrigerator for a couple hours.
Oats Porridge
I think this is the most common way to eat oats. If you're using rolled oats you would cook them for about 5-10 minutes or even less depending what you mixed them with. With oats porridge as well, you can add fruits, nuts or even vegetables to the mix. Oats can be sweet or savory. Think of oats as a blank canvas that you can transform to match your taste buds.
Pancakes
Yes I said it. I add oats to my pancakes. You can do this in a couple of ways, let me break them down.
If you want a gluten free flour mixture for you pancakes or anything then you can use a food processor to grind oats into a flour. Use that as the binding agent for your pancake batter.
Put all the ingredients for the pancake mix in a blender then blend everything. Quick and easy and also the most convenient.
Yes you can just add them to your normal pancake batter and they'll add a pleasant bite to your pancakes.
Oats with yogurt
If you're craving a late night snack, then why not try adding oats, nuts and berries (fruits too if you like) to yogurt. Mix everything together for a late night treat. You can also add protein powder as well to the mix.
So there you have it. My oats break down and my top ways to eat oats. If I've convinced you that oats are a great and convenient addition to your diet then here are a few websites that I often visit for recipes and inspiration for meals.
Websites:
Yes I said it. I add oats to my pancakes. You can do this in a couple of ways, let me break them down.
- Food processor
If you want a gluten free flour mixture for you pancakes or anything then you can use a food processor to grind oats into a flour. Use that as the binding agent for your pancake batter.
- Blender
Put all the ingredients for the pancake mix in a blender then blend everything. Quick and easy and also the most convenient.
- Just add them.
Yes you can just add them to your normal pancake batter and they'll add a pleasant bite to your pancakes.
Oats with yogurt
If you're craving a late night snack, then why not try adding oats, nuts and berries (fruits too if you like) to yogurt. Mix everything together for a late night treat. You can also add protein powder as well to the mix.
So there you have it. My oats break down and my top ways to eat oats. If I've convinced you that oats are a great and convenient addition to your diet then here are a few websites that I often visit for recipes and inspiration for meals.
Websites:
Comments
Post a Comment