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Food for Thought: What Makes Oats So Much Healthier Than Other Whole Grains?

Are oats healthy? Oat is one of the healthiest whole grains. What makes oats such a healthy grain? Read on to find out! 

Why oats are good for you

Oatmeal Whole Grains

Oats are the only whole grain to be singled out as a true superfood in my list of Everyday Super Foods. So what makes oats such a shining nutritional star? If you eat oatmeal for breakfast every morning, are you doing a good thing? Are oats healthy? The research says yes!

Health and Nutritional Benefits of Oats and Oatmeal

  • Very high in manganese
  • Good source of selenium, tryptophan, phosphorus, Vitamin B1, and magnesium
  • 1 cup cooked oatmeal has over 15% DV of fiber and just under 15% DV protein, not bad for an easy breakfast!! Pair it with milk to complete and increase that protein value.
  • High in antioxidants1
How to Soak Oatmeal to Reduce Phytic Acid

Are Oats Healthy?

All of the nutrients listed above improve your health in the following areas:

  • Lowers cholesterol and reduces risk of cardiovascular disease2
  • Enhances immune response to infection
  • Stabilizes blood sugar (especially for breakfast and when the rest of your day includes fiber-rich foods)
  • Lowers type 2 diabetes risk
  • Lowers risk of cancer3
  • Lowers high blood pressure
  • Bowel regularity
  • Weight control4

Oats vs. Wheat & Other Grains

Why are oats even more healthy than other grains?

  1. Oats have balanced soluble and insoluble fiber, which plays into many of the health benefits listed above.
  2. Oats have a lower glycemic index than most other grains. This means they won’t impact the blood sugar as drastically but will be digested/release energy at a more constant, slow rate than other grains, especially processed white flour. It’s the soluble fiber that is responsible for this little wonder. Glycemic index is very important for diabetics, but is something to be aware of for all people who wish to remain in good health.
  3. Oats are a good energy booster without the crash: “Oats have been shown in scientific studies to favorably alter metabolism and enhance performance when ingested 45 minutes to 1 hour before exercise of moderate intensity.”
  4. Oats are generally higher in protein than other grains.
  5. Oats have gotten some great press and good research about being star players in the lower cholesterol battle.
Healthy Oats and Oatmeal Toppings

Is Instant Oatmeal Healthy?

Very little of this great health info applies to “instant oatmeal” which is processed too much and often includes sweeteners and fillers. Quick oats are better than instant, but if you want all the health benefits, buy rolled oats at the very least, and to get even closer to the field (less processed), go with steel-cut oats or whole oat groats. (An oat groat is just the WHOLE oat. It looks like a seed a little bit.) Both steel-cut and oat groats take longer to cook in the morning, and if you buy oat groats, you may want to look up the proper way to prepare them. They take a bit more work.

Your kids CAN make their own healthy breakfast!

kids learning to cook

Join the Kids Cook Real Food Weekend Challenge: Kids Master Breakfast and imagine your kids making breakfast independently! This challenge contains pro-filmed video lessons you can do at your own pace and finish in one weekend. Perfect for busy families!!

Increase the Nutrition in Oats by Soaking Them First

Soaking your oatmeal is not difficult, and oats that have been soaked prior to cooking are easier to digest and are actually more nutritious. Read why and how here.

How to Store Oats

“Store oatmeal in an airtight container in a cool, dry and dark place where they will keep for approximately two months.”5 I am always surprised when doing my research at how (not) long I should be keeping certain things around.

Apparently, the fat content of oats is slightly higher than other grains, and it’s the fat that goes rancid.  Oats are going to go bad sooner than wheat flour, etc. Something to think about when buying in bulk, or just stocking up like I do!

What is your favorite way to eat oats?

Here are some of my best oat recipes:

Other super foods and their health benefits:

Sources

  1. Hoffmanová, I., Sánchez, D., Szczepanková, A., & Tlaskalová-Hogenová, H. (2019). The Pros and Cons of Using Oat in a Gluten-Free Diet for Celiac Patients. Nutrients, 11(10), 2345. doi:10.3390/nu11102345
  2. Perrelli, A., Goitre, L., Salzano, A. M., Moglia, A., Scaloni, A., & Retta, S. F. (2018). Biological Activities, Health Benefits, and Therapeutic Properties of Avenanthramides: From Skin Protection to Prevention and Treatment of Cerebrovascular Diseases. Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, 2018, 1-17. doi:10.1155/2018/6015351
  3. Abuajah, C. I., Ogbonna, A. C., & Osuji, C. M. (2014). Functional components and medicinal properties of food: A review. Journal of Food Science and Technology, 52(5), 2522-2529. doi:10.1007/s13197-014-1396-5
  4. Musa-Veloso, K., Fallah, S., O’Shea, M., & Chu, Y. (2016). Assessment of Intakes and Patterns of Cooked Oatmeal Consumption in the U.S. Using Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. Nutrients, 8(8), 503. doi:10.3390/nu8080503
  5. Oats. (2016). Retrieved from http://whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=54
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5 thoughts on “Food for Thought: What Makes Oats So Much Healthier Than Other Whole Grains?”

  1. What a wealth of information! Thanks so much for sharing with us.

    Kirsten’s last blog post..What I Learned This Week

  2. Musings of a Housewife

    This is so interesting! Fortunately for me, I love oats. Now I need some ideas for creative ways to get them in our diet more often.

    Musings of a Housewife’s last blog post..What I Learned This Week (Vol. 20)

      1. Yes, rolled oats are good for you. I should go back and edit the post – good question! The less processed, the better, so if you find you like steel cut or even whole oat groats for porridge, go with those. (My husband doesn’t, so we use rolled all the time.)

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