When it comes to a good bowl of oatmeal, everyone is on the fence. Do you prefer instant or do you like to do stovetop? Are you a blueberry flavored kind of person or do you like to add a dab of honey? Everyone has their preferences, but most people don’t know the difference between instant oatmeal and regular oatmeal. By regular oatmeal, we mean standing at the stove and stirring for a while.
Instant Oatmeal
For most people, they want convenience. With instant oatmeal you have that option of convenience. Just adding hot water (or hot milk if you prefer) and stirring for a minute or two allows for an easy, fast and convenient snack or meal so you can get on with your day. With regular oatmeal, you are still boiling water but you have to stand at the stove and constantly stir the oats or they will stick together and become a terrible lump that you cannot eat.
Do you want to feel fuller longer or are you just craving a quick snack? Research has proven that instant oatmeal is broken down and absorbed by the body faster than regular oatmeal. One of the reasons for this is that instant has been processed down so much that the body can easily digest it, which can leave you feeling hungry soon after. With regular oatmeal, your body has to work to break down the food you have eaten, and it breaks it down slower, which can lead to you feeling fuller for a longer period of time.
Instant oatmeals tend to have a smoother texture, often with a creamy feel to them. Once you add in the extras like milk and honey, it tends to be more of a blend. Regular oatmeal has more of a meaty texture to it, is larger in size, and often has a bumpy texture to the mix even after adding in your milk and honey. With regular oatmeal, you are more conscious of chewing which helps to break down food for easier and better processing in the body.
What About Regular Oatmeal?
Nutritionally, regular oatmeal has been shown to be better for the body. Not only does it hold in more of the good components that you need, but it is not loaded with extra sugars and extra sweeteners that the instant kinds tend to have. This allows for you to have a more wholesome meal. Instant oatmeal isn’t bad for you, but if you have the time, regular can save you a lot of sugars and calories.
When it comes to how you cook each, instant oatmeal is often found in canisters or packages that you add hot boiling water to and stir, adding in milk, honey or other additives that you choose. When it comes to how you cook regular oatmeal, most forms require you to boil water and then add in the oats, stirring relatively frequently for at least 15 minutes. Most will require a dab of milk to keep the water from forming the oatmeal into little lumps or a large ball of oatmeal.
No matter which way you like your oatmeal, you are eating something healthy and that leads to a F