Oatmeal
By Nancy Honig
January is typically full of cold days where something warm sounds tempting. It is also a month during which some of us are feeling the cost of Christmas, and looking for economical foods. Enter oatmeal! Oatmeal is a delicious whole grain food with many healthful benefits. It is rich in fiber, which helps maintain a healthy bowel, lowers cholesterol levels, and promotes heart health.
Oatmeal is most eaten for breakfast, but oats can be included in many recipes, such as breads, cookies, and even meatloaf! Although instant or quick oats are the best known types, there are many different kinds of oats you can include in your diet. Oats are whole grains with both bran and germ intact. As such, they are a good source of soluble fiber, the fiber that helps lower your body’s cholesterol, and appears to reduce your risk of heart disease. The way oats are processed influences their nutritional value and benefits.
Rolled oats are the traditional forms of oatmeal that we see in the grocery store. Rolled oats are oat groats which have been de-husked and then steamed, before being rolled into flat flakes under heavy rollers (rolled oats!) The oat flakes are toasted to remove moisture and make the oats shelf stable. Quick-cooking oats are rolled oats cut into small pieces, so they also retain their nutrient value while cooking fairly quickly. They are rolled thinner and cooked/steamed longer before flaking and drying, so they absorb water rapidly and cook more quickly. Old-fashioned rolled oats are created after steaming oat groats and rolling them into fine flakes. They are thicker than instant and will not absorb water as quickly. I think oatmeal cookies varieties are a good way to see the difference. If you like a soft oatmeal cookie use quick cooking oats. If you like a dense, chewy oatmeal cookie use old-fashioned oats.
Steel cut oats are produced by cutting whole groats into smaller pieces. Steel cut oats are not always steamed and flaked, so they may cook a lot slower than more traditional rolled oats. However, steel cut oats are nutritionally similar to rolled oats, ounce for ounce. Calories, carbohydrates, protein, fat and fiber are much the same. The difference is twofold. Due to their density, steel-cut oats are cooked with a higher ratio of liquid than rolled oats. They yield a larger portion, meaning you can eat less and consume fewer calories. Steel cut oats take longer to digest, helping us stay full longer, and reducing the rise in blood sugar. This low glycemic index, as it is called, is helpful for those with pre-diabetes or diabetes, as is having active lifestyles.
If using steel cut oats, realize they will take much longer to cook than quick or old fashioned. You can use the stovetop, a slow cooker or a pressure cooker, it is just a matter of how long you want to take to prepare them. Be aware some recipes may suggest letting the oatmeal set in the pan overnight to soften after it has been cooked. Remember, foods with high moisture content such as cooked oatmeal can be a dangerous place for bacteria to grow when not kept below 40 degrees F or above 140 degrees F.
So, get out your oats and cook some up on the next cold winter day. Don’t forget to add them to your cookies, quick breads, as a binder for meatballs or meatloaf, and anywhere else you think they would be delicious!
