You Oat To Know

One of my co-workers recently asked me what the difference was -- from a nutritional standpoint -- between steel-cut oats, quick-cooking oats, and instant oatmeal.

There isn’t any!

They are all a nutritious whole grain offering soluble fiber (the kind that has been linked to a reduction in total and LDL cholesterol levels).

(Quick review: insoluble fiber -- found entirely in whole wheat products and partially in fruits, vegetables, and legumes -- speeds up the transit of foods in the digestive system.)

The difference between these varieties of oats and oatmeal ultimately comes down to processing techniques.

Whereas steel-cut oats are -- ready for a shocker? -- cut by rotating steel blades into tiny groats, instant oatmeal is flattened into flakes.

If you look at their respective nutrition labels, you’ll notice that steel-cut oats appear to contain more fiber than their quick cooking counterparts.

However, this is simply due to different serving sizes.

It's akin to a one-ounce slice of whole wheat bread containing 3 grams of fiber and a 1.5 ounce slice providing 4.5 grams. The larger slice may appear to be a "better source" of fiber, but ounce by ounce the two are equal.

What you absolutely must keep in mind when buying instant oatmeal is what has been added.

You can’t go wrong by buying plain (unsweetened, no salt added) oatmeal and jazzing it up yourself with fruits, nuts, seeds, yogurt, etc.

The problems begin when you buy flavored varieties than add sodium and up to 4 or 5 teaspoons of sugar (and about 100 extra calories) to this delicious whole grain.

Instant oatmeal is one of my recommended pantry staples, mainly due to its quick preparation time.

I also recommend adding uncooked instant oatmeal (or uncooked ready-to-eat oat bran) to a yogurt and fruit bowl if you're not a fan of traditional oatmeal.