Oat Nutrition, Varieties, and Recipes

Oats: One of the World’s Great Grains

In his 1755 “Dictionary of the English Language”, Samuel Johnson called oats “a grain which in England is generally given to horses, but which in Scotland supports the people.” (Herbst, 1995). Well, Johnson may not have known it, but the Scotts were onto something.

Oats, it turns out, are one of the world’s healthiest grains, but are also very versatile. The many methods of processing oats make this grain suited to a wide array of culinary uses. Read on to learn about oat nutrition, the types of oats available, and links to some tasty recipes.

Oat Nutrition

Oats are a wonder-food for those concerned about their health. First, oats are high in soluble fiber. This type of fiber is known to help remove cholesterol from the bloodstream, thus preventing heart disease and stroke (Yeager, 2007).

Soluble fiber is a boon to those looking to drop a few pounds, as it moves through the body slowly, which helps people feel full longer (Popoff, 2001). Oats are also a good source of important vitamins. This grain is especially rich in thiamine, riboflavin, and vitamin E (Yeager, 2007).

Types of Oats Available (With Links to Recipes)

If oat nutrition didn’t make oats appealing enough, this grain also comes in many forms, which makes it suited to a wide array of preparations. Whole oats, which have only had an inedible husk removed, are known as “groats” or “oat groats” and can be cooked as a side-dish. Here is a recipe for Oat Groat Pilaf.

If whole oats are cut (usually with steel blades) but not rolled, they become “Scotch oats”, which are also known as “Steel-cut oats” or “pinhead oats” (Herbst, 1995). These are TV Chef Alton Brown’s favorite oats, and make an incredibly creamy breakfast, perfect for warming up after being outside shoveling. Brown’s recipe for slow-cooker oatmeal (which you can start the night before, perhaps when you first notice the snow starting to fall) can be accessed by clicking here.

When whole oats are steamed, then pressed flat with large rollers, they become rolled oats. These come in several varieties. When no more processing is done, they are “Old Fashioned Oatmeal”, and are great for making granola bars, as in this recipe from FoodNetwork.

When oats are pressed thinner than is usually done for old-fashioned oatmeal, then cut into smaller pieces with no additional cooking, the result is “quick-cooking oatmeall”, which is often sold in the same type of canisters as old-fashioned oatmeal. Some people find quick-cooking oatmeal less satisfying than old-fashioned oatmeal (Herbst, 1995), but others find less “slimy”.

The final commercially-available form of oats is “instant oatmeal”, which results when oats are cut and rolled as for quick-cooking oatmeal, then flash-cooked and dried. These have had most the fiber removed, and often are sold with a lot of added sugar, salt, and artificial flavors. Thus, they are generally the least-healthy choice and should be avoided except for special occasions (such as camping, where their low weight and convenience is an advantage).

References

Herbst, S. (1995). Oats. Epicurious Food Dictionary. Retrieved 20 May, 2010 from https://www.epicurious.com/tools/fooddictionary

Popoff, D. (Producer) (2001, 7 November). Good Eats: Oat Cuisine. [Television Broadcast]. Atlanta. Be Squared Productions.

Yeager, S. (2007). The Doctors Book of Food Remedies. Roadale. New York, NY.