What Kind of Oatmeal Digests the Best?

[BABY1]

TweetOatmeal cereal is a common breakfast choice that dates back many hundreds of years, especially in Western Europe. All oatmeal cereals contain oats, but different cutting and processing techniques exist. In general, the more surface area that’s exposed, the better a food will be digested in your mouth and stomach. Other factors are important for digestion too, including how thoroughly you chew the oatmeal and how acidic your stomach acid is. Good digestion leads to better absorption and nutrition. Ask your doctor about the importance of adding high-fiber food such as oatmeal to your diet.
Oat Groats

All oatmeal products start with oat groats, which are the whole unbroken oat grain. Before being made into any type of oatmeal, oat groats are typically roasted at low temperatures, which improves flavor and extends shelf-life by deactivating an enzyme that causes oats to go rancid. All oat cereals are good sources of soluble fiber, which can help reduce cholesterol levels, balance blood glucose levels and promote regular bowel movements. However, there are some differences in the ways that oats are cut and processed, which can affect the digestibility of the oatmeal.






Steel-Cut Oats

Steel-cut oats are simply chopped up whole groats or oat kernels. Also called Irish oats, steel-cut oats are the least processed type of oat cereal and they retain most of their texture, which makes them chewier in cereal. Steel-cut oats are also called Scottish oats, which refers to smaller pieces of chopped or ground oat kernels. Both types of steel-cut oats have to be cooked in hot water before you eat them. Irish oats take about 45 minutes to cook, whereas Scottish oats take about half that time. Because they are in whole grain form and the least processed, oatmeal consisting of steel-cut oats is the slowest to digest and slightly lower on the glycemic index, which means it impacts blood glucose levels slower and prevents insulin spikes, according to “Contemporary Nutrition: Functional Approach.”
Rolled Oats

Rolled oats are made by steaming the toasted groats and then pressing the soft grain between rollers and drying them into flat flakes. Rolled oats re-absorb water quickly and cook faster than steel-cut oats, usually in about 10 minutes. Rolled oats are still whole grain and only mildly processed, but they are a little quicker to digest compared to Irish or Scottish oats. There is not much nutritional difference between whole grain rolled oats and steel-cut oats as they have about the same amount of fiber, protein, calories and other nutrients.
Quick-Cooking and Instant Oats

Quick-cooking oats are a type of rolled oat that’s pressed into thinner flakes, whereas instant oats are pressed into the thinnest possible flakes. Both types cook in less than 10 minutes, although they have very little texture. Instant oats, in particular, often disintegrate into coarse powder and form very mushy oatmeal cereal. Instant oats are likely the most digestible type of oatmeal and have a slightly higher impact on blood glucose levels. Quick-cooking and instant oats often contain high levels of salt and refined sugar, so they are generally not considered as healthy as steel-cut oats.

[BABY1]

TweetGluten free oats for me!!!

[exphys88]

TweetI love raw steel cut oats in my shakes!

[6p6]

Tweeteat oat meal everyday...everyday

[Anabolic5150]

TweetQuick oats are my favorite, followed by steel cut.

[Hypertrophy]

TweetOrganic rolled with some soy milk please!

[Hypertrophy]

TweetImageUploadedByTapatalk1341180006.235343.jpgmmm!

[Miss Springsteen]

TweetI put some quick oats in a cup, add some water and thats it lol

[Anabolic5150]

Tweet

I put some quick oats in a cup, add some water and thats it lol

I make steel cut once in a great while if I have time, make enough for 2-3 days and refrigerate. Other wise its quick oats and water in a bowl, nuke it and add 2 packs of Splenda and some Walden Farms jam and call it good.

[BABY1]

TweetSlow cooked oats are more satiating than instant quick cooking ones.

[suprfast]

TweetI want to try the steel cut but never had the time. Time is now.