What Is Your Healthier Option- Rolled or Steel Cut Oats?
When it comes to breakfast food, you cannot do much better than oatmeal. At the time I was living in Great Britain it always was called porridge, and I'm sure it is more well-liked there than within the United States. It has a long history there, because it was the food of peasants of that region, especially in Ireland and Scotland.
When these areas weren't blessed with an abundance of good for your health natural foods such as we find in the Mediterranean area, having oatmeal being a basic became vitally critical. Dietary fiber is on the top of the list of nutrients and the bonus here with oatmeal is the mixture of roughly 50/50 soluble and insoluble fibers. Each of them will be extremely important to our health for proper digestion. It will be moreover considered heart-healthy due to its tocotrienols, which are antioxidant compounds that slow synthesis of cholesterol resulting in lower blood cholesterol.
Other benefits to having soluble dietary fiber in the body is how it controls insulin levels and blood glucose, consequently preventing insulin spikes as well as diabetic issues. It works by slowing down digestion by forming a gel in the intestines when it gets absorbed by water. The gel is digested slower, prolonging the length of time the carbohydrates are taken into the body. Slower absorption means large spikes of sugar levels in the blood stream will be avoided.
That brings us to our original query: what is actually better, rolled oats or steel cut oats. The answer is from an absorption point of view, we are going to go with the steel cut oats. They really are essentially identical oats as rolled, but it is just how they're processed that produces the difference. Because steel-cut are denser, they are going to take more time to digest than rolled oats. And generally speaking, the more a food is processed, or the less natural it really is, the less healthful it will be for you. The minimum amount of processing that will go into steel-cut oats make them the healthier alternative.
The draw back (but it isn't really much of a downside while health is concerned) is that they're somewhat harder to cook. Steel cut oats require somewhat longer to cook, but we think it's worth the time. Combine 3 cups of water, a cup of steel cut oats, and a little salt to bring out the naturally nutty flavor. Similar to cooking rice or quinoa, bring to a boil, after that reduce the heat back to allow it to simmer but don't cover the pan. Stir on a regular basis then at the 20 minute mark begin checking the progress of the oats. The more time you permit it cook at this time, the less chewy it will be.
Finish the oatmeal off with some fruit, fresh or dried, and toasted nuts. Cinnamon also works well, as will a spoonful of maple syrup or honey. If you are cooking breakfast for just one or a couple of people, it is possible to prepare a larger amount and store it in the refrigerator for up to a week. Just microwave it for only a minute, stir in a little milk and heat for an additional minute.
When these areas weren't blessed with an abundance of good for your health natural foods such as we find in the Mediterranean area, having oatmeal being a basic became vitally critical. Dietary fiber is on the top of the list of nutrients and the bonus here with oatmeal is the mixture of roughly 50/50 soluble and insoluble fibers. Each of them will be extremely important to our health for proper digestion. It will be moreover considered heart-healthy due to its tocotrienols, which are antioxidant compounds that slow synthesis of cholesterol resulting in lower blood cholesterol.
Other benefits to having soluble dietary fiber in the body is how it controls insulin levels and blood glucose, consequently preventing insulin spikes as well as diabetic issues. It works by slowing down digestion by forming a gel in the intestines when it gets absorbed by water. The gel is digested slower, prolonging the length of time the carbohydrates are taken into the body. Slower absorption means large spikes of sugar levels in the blood stream will be avoided.
That brings us to our original query: what is actually better, rolled oats or steel cut oats. The answer is from an absorption point of view, we are going to go with the steel cut oats. They really are essentially identical oats as rolled, but it is just how they're processed that produces the difference. Because steel-cut are denser, they are going to take more time to digest than rolled oats. And generally speaking, the more a food is processed, or the less natural it really is, the less healthful it will be for you. The minimum amount of processing that will go into steel-cut oats make them the healthier alternative.
The draw back (but it isn't really much of a downside while health is concerned) is that they're somewhat harder to cook. Steel cut oats require somewhat longer to cook, but we think it's worth the time. Combine 3 cups of water, a cup of steel cut oats, and a little salt to bring out the naturally nutty flavor. Similar to cooking rice or quinoa, bring to a boil, after that reduce the heat back to allow it to simmer but don't cover the pan. Stir on a regular basis then at the 20 minute mark begin checking the progress of the oats. The more time you permit it cook at this time, the less chewy it will be.
Finish the oatmeal off with some fruit, fresh or dried, and toasted nuts. Cinnamon also works well, as will a spoonful of maple syrup or honey. If you are cooking breakfast for just one or a couple of people, it is possible to prepare a larger amount and store it in the refrigerator for up to a week. Just microwave it for only a minute, stir in a little milk and heat for an additional minute.
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