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Simple things. What can I do that is simple and will increase my nutrition?
I’m often asked that question, and the folks who ask it don’t know that it’s the question I ask myself all the time. When I read about soaking grains for the first time, I was pleased to find out that it’s really a fairly simple process. It takes some planning ahead, but if you’re already menu planning, adding the soaking step is a cinch.
Your mission, if you choose to accept, is to soak your oatmeal for breakfast sometime this week.
Level of Commitment: Baby Steps
Why Would I want Soaked Grains?
Here’s a short science lesson to help you understand why you might want to “soak” your grains:
- Grains are seeds.
- Seeds are meant to pass through the system relatively undigested so they can be planted elsewhere (think in nature).
- To make it possible for seeds to pass through undigested, there are some anti-nutrients built in to make them difficult to digest.
- Seeds also need to be preserved until the time is right for sprouting, so they have certain compounds that stop the active enzyme activity of germination.
- These compounds also serve to hinder active enzyme activity in your digestive system.
- “Soaking” whole grains can make them more digestible and help your system obtain all the nutrients in the food.
Read the science behind the process at Soaking Whole Grains.
This process is recommended by Sally Fallon in Nourishing Traditions, but you won’t find it many other places. I’m not 100% convinced that it’s the only way to go, and neither is Laura.
That being said, soaking your oatmeal is not difficult, doesn’t take any more time than not soaking it, can’t hurt you, and definitely changes your digestion. My mom is not the only one who notices a difference when her oatmeal is soaked. She has told me she’s certain she feels fuller when it’s soaked, and her digestion seems more ‘regular’ based on the end result.
My oatmeal soaking for tomorrow morning
How to Soak Oatmeal
- Combine 1 cup rolled or steel cut oats with 1 cup water with 1 Tbs lemon juice or whey in it. I do it right in the pot.
- UPDATE: Straight from the mouth of Sally Fallon, the water should be warmer than room temp at the start. You’d need to gently warm it in a teapot or in the pot to ~110 degrees or so, since it’s not recommended to consume warm tap water because of lead leaching issues. {Sigh. That makes this process just slightly more complicated.}
- UPDATE: Megan reminded me that oats are low in the enzyme phytase, needed to neutralize the phytates. She found the information at Rebuild from Depression’s phytic acid e-course. (I’ve got all 25 of the emails in my inbox but haven’t had time to read them all.) So add a Tbs or two (10%) of wheat flour to your oats, too.
- Leave at room temperature 24 hours (or at least 12). I usually think of it the night before, but the best for oatmeal is to let it go 24 hours. Tip: Just get oats soaking for tomorrow’s breakfast as you’re cleaning up today’s, as breakfast will be on your mind.
- Add another cup of water in the morning, bring to a boil and cook a few minutes until thick.
Couldn’t be easier! Here is how to get whey easily.
Timesaver: Buy lemons on sale and freeze juice in 1 Tbs portions in ice cube trays or popsicle molds. Store in a freezer bag.
Another favorite way to have soaked oatmeal in our house, although it takes a bit more time, is Kelly’s Baked Oatmeal. Because the chopping of fruit takes some time, I like to soak the oatmeal two nights before I want to eat it for 24 hours, then prepare the entire dish the night before and store it in the fridge until morning, when I put it in a cold oven and add 10-15 minutes to the bake time. (It tastes like oatmeal raising cookies, I kid you not.)
Will you try it? Do share if you notice a difference in digestion/satisfaction!
Don’t miss your chance to “green up” your cleaners by winning FOUR different ones from Biokleen here.
Here’s a weird example of how unorganized I am – a few days after I posted my Biokleen review, I found my super-well-written, hilarious post introduction on a piece of paper. Poo poo me. If you want to read it, I’m too proud to throw writing away so I tacked it on the Biokleen review.
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The good news is that I soaked my oatmeal last night. The bad news is that I forgot the whey!
I use steel-cut oats, and a side benefit is that they cook in 10-15 minutes instead of 30+. Really helps in the morning when I’m rushed. Although I was so far behind this morning anyway that I threw them in a thermos after cooking and ate them at work.
[Reply to this comment]
Hi Katie,
I wonder if you’ve heard that oats need to be soaked with wheat. Because oats are low in the phytase enzyme, they are unable to break down the phytic acid that is responsible for binding to the nutrients. However, wheat is rich in the phytase enzyme, so if about 1 T of freshly ground wheat berries or wheat flour is added, it helps enormously with the process. If you haven’t heard of this, you can read more about it at this site, which offers a free “Phytic Acid E-Course”
http://www.rebuild-from-depression.com/subscribe/subscribe/phytic_acid.html
Just wondering what your thoughts were!
[Reply to this comment]
Katie Reply:
December 1st, 2009 at 2:31 am
Megan,
Katie
You’re right! I read that once at Cheeseslave and started adding whole wheat flour to my baked oatmeal, but I am too lazy to add that extra step for my regular oatmeal. Terrible, I know. I updated the post and credited you! Thanks!!
[Reply to this comment]
Katie Reply:
January 18th, 2010 at 9:01 pm
Megan,
Katie
Thank you again. I have Amanda’s e-course, but I’m still trying to sort through he-said/she-said between PhDs!
[Reply to this comment]
I’d heard that any acidic substance would work (sour milk, butter milk, vinegar, lemon juice). I do soak when i remember, but it has not become a habit yet. Made some recently that i did soak, & before the sweetener it had a bit of bite from the vinegar. But after sweetening it wasn’t noticable.
Kathryn´s last blog ..Post Thanksgiving
[Reply to this comment]
Katie Reply:
December 1st, 2009 at 2:32 am
Kathryn,
You’re right, but in the experience of most people I’ve heard/known/read about, whey or lemon juice gives the least “sour” taste. Adding more sweetener to cover up the bite isn’t what I’m shooting for, so I go for the most “like oatmeal” taste.
Thanks!
Katie
[Reply to this comment]
I totally notice a difference in how the oatmeal digests when I soak vs. no soaking. If we forget to soak it, I’m hungry in a few hours, but soaked I can easily last until lunch without any snacks.
Also, it takes less time to cook when I soak it. Once you get the water boiling (5 min or so), it only takes another 5 minutes to cook. A little longer than cereal, maybe, but Dh and I usually cook it while we’re doing other things in the mornings. And the topping possibilities are endless!!
[Reply to this comment]
Katie Reply:
December 8th, 2009 at 12:30 am
Brittany,
Yes yes yes to everything you said! I love how fast the oatmeal cooks when soaked. Thanks for the tips! Katie
[Reply to this comment]
Ok, you got me to do it! And I love it. I find it much easier to eat. I used to only be able to stomach so much oatmeal before I felt bloated. Now, I notice that I don’t get that reaction at all and enjoy my oatmeal more.
My daughter has severe gluten reactions. We buy her gluten free oats because she’ll get sick just from the contamination with regular oats that have been run through a processing plant shared with wheat. So I don’t add the wheat.
I found a great way to have whey on hand all the time is just to leave a “dip” of yogurt in the yogurt container. About a Tbsp or two of whey is there all the time now whenever I want it.
christina´s last blog ..My Dad’s Favorite Applesauce Cake – Now Gluten Free
[Reply to this comment]
How would you make up the wheat if you are gf? We are as well and would need to know how to do this. Thank you!
[Reply to this comment]
Katie Reply:
June 14th, 2010 at 5:33 pm
Desi,
Katie
Buckwheat is gluten free and has the phytase you need for soaking. It works great!
[Reply to this comment]
AmandaonMaui Reply:
June 17th, 2010 at 9:25 pm
Oh, the answer I was looking for is already here. Please ignore the other and feel free to delete it.
AmandaonMaui´s last blog ..Burgers…nom…Nom…NOM!
[Reply to this comment]
What about for gluten free people?
AmandaonMaui´s last blog ..Burgers…nom…Nom…NOM!
[Reply to this comment]
What do you mean by a “dip” of yogurt?
AmandaonMaui´s last blog ..Burgers…nom…Nom…NOM!
[Reply to this comment]
Just wondering, can I use water kefir instead of vinegar for soaking? I don’t do dairy kefir, we drink raw milk and there’s no way my budget could stand kefiring raw milk…and then there’s just the I-just-can’t-drink-that-all-the-time factor too. I like it occasionally, but not every day! Too thick, rich and sour for our tastes here.
I’m kind of thinking I can, but wondering if it’s possible. Thanks!
dawn´s last blog ..Soleil 100 Days
[Reply to this comment]
Katie Reply:
July 14th, 2010 at 11:09 am
Dawn,
Katie
I would guess “yes”, but I’ve never seen research on that one. Maybe I’ll check my water kefir with a pH strip and see what it says! That’s all you really need, slight acidity. My preference is whey because I can’t taste the “sour” so much, and we make yogurt regularly anyway.
Good question!
[Reply to this comment]
Basic Granola | HAPPY VITTLES // Jul 28, 2010 at 6:07 pm
[...] To Soak, bring level of warm filtered water up to just below top of oats. Check out the benefits of soaking oats here. This step takes extra planning and extra work so make a BIG batch of granola to make it all worth [...]