If there is one foodstuff that you should stock in your kitchen cupboard, it’s the oat. Starting your day with a bowl of nutritious oats will help keep you going until lunch, filling you up thanks to each grain's high fibre content and its ability to soak up milk. But what makes oatmeal the go-to breakfast for happy, healthy families? Follow our simple guide and find out.
What are oats?
The common oat is the grain of the tall grass known as Avena Sativa. Once harvested each oat goes through a procedure of washing, milling and steaming before finally being hulled. This helps keep the wholegrain goodness locked-in each groat, ready for the final process of rolling, cutting or grinding.
Did you know?
The oat kernel minus the husk is called a groat, which is an old Scottish word
Oat recipes
Hearty and filling
Steel-cut
It’s the fibre content and density that make steel-cut oats a popular breakfast choice. Made by chopping each groat into three pieces, these chewy and nutty oats are very filling but require longer to prepare and cook.
Top Tip!
Go for steel-cut if you’re preparing overnight oats
Rolled/old fashioned oats
Traditionally, these flaky oats have always been rolled, and as the name suggests, they are steamed, rolled and then flattened. The steaming process gives rolled oats a milder taste and as they’ve already been partially cooked, they’re quick to prepare.
Instant
Quick oats are the most processed of the three varieties. Made by pre-cooking, drying, then rolling, what instant oats lose in nutrition and texture, they make up for in speed. If you’re in need of a lightening-quick breakfast, instant oats can’t be beaten.
Top Tip!
Add protein powder to your oat mix for a muscle-building breakfast
Go with oats
Breakfast made simple
