Oatmeal has been the breakfast of champions for decades it is a top choice in the winter months. Thought it can easily standalone it is also great when added to cookies, scones, muffins, and whatever else you can think of. Oatmeal is loved because of its health benefits.
Benefits of Oatmeal
It has many documented benefits. Oatmeal helps to lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease. Studies have shown that when introduced to early on it may help reduce the risk of asthma. For people on a diet it helps to enhance its nutritional value. It also helps to curb hunger throughout your day, working as an appetite suppressant. Oatmeal has plenty of fiber in it leading to the regular distribution of waste so to speak, this is why it is popular among the elderly. Other studies have shown that regular oatmeal consumption helped to reduce insulin doses for diabetic people and also helped to lower blood pressure.
Oats all have a humble beginning and start off the same as an oat groat. Groats are the whole form and unbroken grain of the oat. It is heated on low thus making that toasty nutty flavor that oat possess. The heat from this process helps to inactivate the enzyme that makes it go rancid and increases its shelf life. It next goes through a milling process that will either yield a fine, medium or coarse oatmeal.
Oatmeal can come in many different forms based on region and cooking technique. One variation is steel-cut oats sometimes called Scottish oats. This oat takes longer to cook and has a nuttier flavor than the other oats such as instant, ground or rolled. It is also the least processed of the oats.
Steel Oats
Steel cut oats could be considered a “power food” because of they are an excellent source of protein, vitamins, minerals and fiber. These benefits are enhanced based on the processing method that steel cut oats go through. They are more dense and chewier than their counterparts because of how they are cut.
With all the choices in oatmeal it can be overwhelming on which one to choose. Oatmeal and steel cut oats have tremendous health benefits. It really comes down to your tastes and what texture you want.