Oats are a healthy addition to just about any diet because they provide fiber, satiety, and help lower cholesterol. Oats come in various forms, so sometimes confusion results when trying to determine which kind to use! So, without further ado...

Let's take a look at the the different kinds of oats:

Oat Groats or Hulled oats: An oat in its original form has a hard, outer covering that makes eating it an unrecommended habit. When the outer 'shell' is removed, you have oat groats in which a layer of bran is exposed. This bran layer protects nutrients inside the oat. Oat groats are edible and look similar to rye.

Steel Cut Oats: These oats are the result of oats groats having been cut into smaller pieces with steel blades (hence their name). They are still quite nutritious having a nutty taste and chewy texture. They might also be known as coarse-cut oats, pinhead oats, Scotch oats, or Irish oats.

Old Fashioned Oats: These oats are what we often see in the supermarket. The bran of the oat has been removed, so the level of nutrition decreases somewhat. The oats are steamed and flattened, thus giving us that familiar oat appearance we see in the Quaker brand. They're also called rolled oats.

Quick-Cooking Oats/Instant Oatmeal: They're old fashioned oats that have been cut into smaller flakes. They cook quickly because the small flakes absorb water quickly. These oats are usually the ones sold in individual pouches with added added sugar, salt, and flavorings. Not the best choice of oats, but better than a big, greasy doughnut!

Oats can be processed even further into a fine powder which can be used as baby food. You can also use oat flour for baking.

I prefer steel cut oats for oatmeal. They do require some time to cook, but they have a great taste, and are a little more nutritious. I also have the old fashioned kind in my pantry as I use them in bread, muesli, or cookie recipes.

If you're not already doing so, why not give oatmeal a try. On a chilly morning, go ahead and cook a steaming bowl of this good stuff. Add toppings, like cinnamon, walnuts, and dried cranberries. It's as warm and comforting as it is healthy for you.

Photo credits: Organic Grain, Simply Natural Foods, valike

Originally posted 2007-11-15 08:00:50. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Related Posts

• Getting Picky Eaters to Eat Healthy A friend of mine shared her frustration of having a picky eater in the house and asked for suggestions on how to introduce healthier foods. "He doesn't like vegetables, rarely touches fruits, and would eat peanut butter all day if up to him." The "he" she was referring to is......
• Cook Healthy Dinners - And Still Have a Life! Many of us have crazy, busy schedules; yet we want to cook healthy meals for us and our family. Problem is, how can you balance the demands of the day with preparing healthy meals? The key for me is planning and organization! Without them I'd be calling out for pizza......
• A List of Superfoods As we have been talking about lately, superfoods are an important part of your daily life if you want your health and well being to be maintained. The following is a list of superfoods that you should implement in your diet on a daily basis or weekly basis if you......
• Healthier Pancakes I love pancakes! I used to have pancake eating contests with my brother as a kid. I'm not beating family members in pancake gorging fests these days (Thankfully!). In fact, I'm looking for an alternative to the usual white-floured, butter and maple flavored syrup-topped pancake. See, as you may know,......
• "Tex-Mex" Rice Casserole Brown rice, beans, chicken, veggies, cheese, and a little spice - I made this dish last night, and it was pretty, darn tasty! It's fairly simply to make and is a great option when you have leftover rice and/or chicken. What I also like about this dish is it's healthier......

Related Websites

• Can Superfoods Help You Lose Weight? One of the biggest questions that is arising often ever since Superfoods became a popular concept is whether or not these superfoods can actually help you lose weight. The truth? Yes, they really can. There are a lot of different foods that can significantly boost your weight loss program by......
• When Banana, Oatmeal & Chocolate Co-Mingle: Combining delicious, nutritious and natural foods as oatmeal and dark chocolate, you might find that adding a fruit to the mixture can be more tasteful and healthy. Check out this wonderful craving savor healthy cookies recipe and be surprised how reducing the amount of sugar and butter per cookie, while adding mashed ripe Banana......
• 15 Healthy Lean Breakfast Choices People ask me all the time to give them a diet menu for breakfast.  So, here's a quick list.  Increase the quantity if you need too.  However, it's best to eat small frequent meals throughout the day. 2-3 egg whites/ 8 ounces protein smoothie 1/2 cup cottage cheese/cup of blueberries......
• 7 tips to simplify today In no particular order, with no particular theme, here are a few random simplification tips. Each one of them were ideas I had for separate posts, but they never really gelled, except #2, which was one of my early, early posts. Hopefully taken as a whole they provide a few......
• Introduction to Bending Strings The History of String Bending and Gauges String bending is a technique that was founded by blues and country music players who wished to mimic the sound of bottleneck guitars, and later on, pedal steel-string guitars. Since then, bending has become a standard technique in the playing of guitars, because......

Online Stores

• One of a Kind Artist Bears Dolls Bears
• Bad Taste Bears Bears Dolls Bears
• Art, Fine Art Topical Specialty Stamps

If you liked this article, vote for it on del.icio.us and stumbleupon.


Categories:

Nutrition